Violence against women in US: Ally Kostial's murder case is a wake-up call

Ole Miss student Alexandria 'Ally' Kostial mysteriously found dead with a suspicion of foul play

Ole Miss student Alexandria 'Ally' Kostial was found dead on July 22 with 8 gunshot wounds and reports suggest that she was in a relationship with the suspect. A man from Texas named Brandon Theesfeld has been named a suspect in the murder case that has shocked the University of Mississipi. Theesfeld attended the same business administration school at Ole Miss as Kostial, therefore, it is pretty much clear that there are some strings attached.

Horror Show

But the story doesn’t just end here. The murder case has increased focus on violence against women in the United States. That day alone there were five other women who were shot and killed in Mississippi in the span of a violent 24 hours along with the murder of Ally Kostial. And it has been reported that all the women who were killed were the victims of gun violence. 

There has been a tremendous increase in the murders, especially a disturbing rise in the number of intimate-partner murders in the US. Also, 72 percent of all murder-suicides involve an intimate partner; 94 percent of the victims of these murder-suicides are female. But what has been realized so far is that such crimes are done by the age group of 15 to 30 years-old boys or men.

A study of intimate partner homicides found that 20 percent of victims were not the intimate partners themselves, but family members, friends, neighbors, persons who intervened, law enforcement responders, or bystanders.

A lot of questions are now raised over the security of women in the US and how this fragile situation should be handled and why this happening?

Femicide is on the rise

According to "When Men Murder Women," a Violence Policy Center analysis, the presence of a firearm can turn violence into homicide. When men murder women, the most common weapon used is a gun.

More than 90 percent of women murdered by men are killed by someone they know. The rate of women murdered by men in single victim/single offender incidents rose by 11 percent between 2014 and 2016. Of 1,809 females murdered by males in 2016, 63 percent (962) were wives or intimate acquaintances of their killers.

Alaska, Missouri, Louisiana are considered as the top states where the rate of homicide per 100,000 females is over two percent. Men, regardless of nationality, are more likely to be perpetrators of violence against women if they have low education, a history of child maltreatment, or exposure to domestic violence against their mother. Children who witness domestic violence are more likely to become perpetrators or victims themselves imparting a fatal legacy for future generations.

School vs Institutional Bonding

The serious thing that needs to be considered here is that the crime is done by the younger age group, so who is responsible for this? The courts till date have given their ruling in such cases by stating that there’s been an analytical behavioral pattern of these youngsters that have led to the violence resulting in such murders. And in such cases, the schools or institutions are usually held responsible. 

The schools and colleges will eventually teach the student about the concept of bonding with the fellow-mates, but the approach is somehow leading to violence among fellow-mates. From 2014 till 2019, the crimes in schools have taken place over 100 times, the number is humongous and threatening. Most of the incidents include students opening fire on their classmates, students getting hold of guns this easily is a cause of concern. 

To make sure that such incidents are not taking place anymore, there is a need for collectible efforts and proper guidance from schools as well as parents to the young blood. A psychological analysis of these boys and men should be done in order to know the exact reason behind this kind of rage that is leading to a heinous and serious crime towards women. Things will change but it takes time.

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed are the personal views of the author. The facts and opinions appearing in the article do not reflect the views of Devdiscourse and Devdiscourse does not claim any responsibility for the same.)