177 Authors’ Note: This research was supported by joint funding from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes on Aging, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the National Institute of Justice (R01 # DA/AA11156). Homicide Studies Volume 12 Number 2 May 2008 177-187 © 2008 Sage Publications 10.1177/1088767907313303 http://hs.sagepub.com hosted at http://online.sagepub.com Young Adult Intimate Partner Femicide An Exploratory Study Nancy Glass Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore Kathryn Laughon University of Virginia, Charlottesville Cynthia Rutto Jennifer Bevacqua Oregon Health & Science University, Portland Jacquelyn C. Campbell Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore The study identified risk factors for young adult intimate partner femicide. Secondary analysis of proxies of 23 young adult (ages 18-20 years) femicide victims identified from police or medical examiner records in 11 U.S. cities were interviewed using the Danger Assessment Scale. The femicide cases were compared with 53 abused young women (ages 18-20). Risk factors for young adult intimate partner femicide differ from their abused counterparts. More hostile violence, threats, unemployment, access to a gun, con- trolling activities, and having a nonbiological child of the abusive partner placed young adult women at higher risk for murder. Risk factors in younger femicides identified are consistent with risk factors identified in cases of femicides in older adult women. Although consistent, jealousy and controlling behaviors, partner unemployment, and per- petrator being an ex-partner appear to have increased importance for younger women. A validated lethality assessment, such as the Danger Assessment, may be useful to identify risk factors for lethal violence in young adult intimate partner violence. Keywords: adolescent; risk factors; intimate partner violence; femicide F emicide, the homicide of women, is the seventh leading cause of premature death for women in this country. It is the second leading cause of death for female ado- lescents and young adults aged 15 to 18 years (Anderson, 2002). Thirty percent to 40% of U.S. femicides are perpetrated by an intimate partner or an ex-partner, whereas approximately 6.0% of male homicides are committed by an intimate or ex-intimate