A special issue on Fatality and Death Reviews comprised the final 2013 issue of Homicide Studies, an international journal that seeks to bridge the gap between academics and practitioners by highlighting quality research from multiple disciplines concerned with research, public policy and new knowledge in the study and prevention of homicide. Guest edited by Dr. Myrna Dawson, the special issue captures the recent emphasis of such review teams on domestic violence and child deaths. The articles provide some background context to the rise of these prevention initiatives in various countries, focus on how they serve specific populations, and deal with ethical and evaluation issues in terms of understanding their prevention and intervention impacts. Dawson has served as a member of Ontario’s Domestic Violence Death Review Committee, Canada’s first such committee, since 2005. She also co-authored (with Dr. Peter Jaffe) the background paper upon which the committee was built. Ontario’s committee will release its 10th annual report in the coming months.
