Murdered Indigenous Girls: An Analysis of Victims and Perpetrators

Exposure to and experiences of violence are identified as factors contributing to the issue of murdered Indigenous girls and women.

Descriptive, correlational study of public access data with a sample of 64 murdered Indigenous girls ranging in age from 14 months to 18 years.

Indigenous girls under 5 years (59%) had the highest report of domestic violence in their history and were more likely to be in foster care (36.3%; p =0.03). Age of victim was related to perpetrator sex, with girls under age 5 years more likely to be murdered by a familial or caretaker relationship female (78.6%), whereas 100% of adolescent girls were murdered by males with higher rates of sexual assault (74.5%; p =0.003).

Forensic nurses and health professionals are in a key position to conduct routine screenings, response-oriented interventions, violence prevention, and education on healthy relationships through person-centered care to Indigenous girls experiencing violence.