Honor killingsWould you kill to preserve your honor? Some parents would go so far as to kill their own children in order to keep their family name intact. According to the United Nations, around five thousand women are murdered each year in honor killings. However, according to women's rights groups, around twenty thousand women are killed each year. Honor killings are killings committed by members of a person's family against those suspected of dishonoring the family. Honor killings date back to the days of the Old Roman Empire, where the patriarch of a family held the right of life and death for any member of his family. Women who became pregnant outside of marriage were often killed to avoid ruining their family's reputation. Usually, once a family's reputation is tarnished, it can never be undone. The killing of the person associated with it is therefore necessary to protect other members of the family. Honor killings continue to be a major problem in many cultures, as adolescents begin to follow the new customs of the 21st century. Honor killings started a long time ago, before anyone could think. During the time of the Roman Empire, the patriarch had the right to end the life of anyone belonging to his house. Women accused of dishonorable acts such as adultery and premarital sex were often killed to preserve the family's reputation. Killing someone suspected of disgracing the family was once considered a heroic act by some. The dishonor associated with a family was not to be taken lightly then and even today. In the United States, several honor killings have been committed in order to protect a family from dishonor. In 1989 a young teenager...... middle of paper...... murders and domestic violence. As Phyllis Chesler said: “One group has an average age of seventeen; the average age of the other group is thirty-six (Chesler, “Worldwide Trends in Honor Killings”). The age difference between the two groups is quite significant and has a considerable impact on the statistics. In the older age group, associated crimes typically include child abuse, incest, and spousal harassment. These crimes are not associated with a culture, young women are not targeted and the murders are generally not justified by families. According to Chesler, “these characteristics define classic honor killings committed against young women and girls” Ullah, 4 (Chesler, “Global Trends in Honor Killings”). In the youngest age group, women are "...killed by their family of origin eighty-one percent of the time" (Chesler, "Worldwide Trends in Honor Killings”).