Familicide: A Systematic Literature Review.

Familicides have received relatively little attention and are mostly discussed in studies with broader aims. Here, we reviewed 67 studies from 18 countries on familicides, in which an offender killed or attempted to kill their current or former spouse/intimate partner and one or more of their biological or stepchildren. We conducted a systematic literature search in PubMed, PsycINFO, and Google Scholar. Eight studies investigated familicide specifically, while the remaining reported on familicide cases as a subsample. We retrieved data on offenders' gender, age, and background as well as on victims and their relationship to the offender. We also retrieved data on contextual factors and offense characteristics (i.e., modus operandi, offense location, premeditation, and whether or not the offender had committed suicide). We also coded methodological aspects of the studies. Familicides were almost exclusively committed by men and about half of the familicide cases led to the suicide of the offender. Mental health problems, relationship problems, and financial difficulties were prevalent. Because few studies reported population base rates of the investigated characteristics, it is difficult to draw conclusions about specific risk factors. Future research should further investigate typologies of familicide and examine risk factors for different types of familicides.

Exploring a new structured professional judgment measure (impulsivity measure related to violence) after an average follow-up of 10 years: A study of Finnish offenders.

BACKGROUND: Identification of the risk factors underlying impulsivity related to violent acts is an essential component of risk assessment and management to reduce violent offending. AIMS: Our aim was to develop a clinically useful measure for assessing impulsivity related to violence. Our research questions were which items in the newly developed measure are associated with later violent recidivism and what is the measure's predictive validity? METHODS: A new scale, the impulsivity measure related to violence (IMP-V), was studied by completing the scale, blind to outcome, from information in the forensic psychiatric examination reports of 63 of a 1-year referral cohort of 181 Finnish offenders. Data on reoffending for up to 15 years after release were collected from official criminal records. RESULTS: The predictive accuracy of the IMP-V continuous ratings was 78% and for the categorical summary risk ratings 77%. Univariate analyses of categorical summary risk ratings of the risk factors revealed that, with two exceptions, each additional score on the IMP-V was associated with a significant increase in violence recidivism. CONCLUSIONS: These preliminary results indicate that the IMP-V is a promising decision-enhancing guide for assessing the risk of violence in impulsive people and that the measure is worth developing for use with impulsivity-prone offenders and forensic psychiatric patients. The IMP-V organises information on the nature of impulsivity in violence-prone persons and thus also creates opportunities for more effective risk management.

Repeated neonaticide: differences and similarities to single neonaticide events.

This study aims to identify differences between single and repeat perpetrators of filicide by using register-based data. The study used register-based, comprehensive, nationwide data from both Austria and Finland. The current study covers 23 perpetrators, 20 single and 3 repeat perpetrators, with a total of 28 victims. All victims had a maximum age of 24 h and all perpetrators were women. Every third victim of neonaticide was a victim of a repeat case. The repeat perpetrators were older; had a higher number of children over their lifespan, some of whom lived with them; were more likely to live within established family structures; had higher levels of education and employment; had a higher proportion of personality disorders; and were more likely to identify stress factors during pregnancy. One unexpected finding was low levels of awareness about pregnancy within the perpetrator's circle remain a risk factor, especially for repeat perpetrators. Arguably, the quality of interpersonal relationships these women have may be affected by their own mental health issues and life experience and vice versa.

Potential predictors in neonaticide: the impact of the circumstances of pregnancy.

This study aims to evaluate the psychosocial factors of neonaticide, especially the circumstances before delivery, the relationships of the pregnant women, and their social environment awareness of women's pregnancy. This nationwide study was register-based, comprising all known neonaticides in Austria and Finland between 1995 and 2005. Cases (n = 28) were obtained by screening the death certificates from coroner's departments and by analyzing them along with all further available reports. Few women (17.9 %, 5/28) admitted their pregnancy to others. Although most (16/28) offenders were in a relationship, the partner had knowledge of the pregnancy in only three cases. The main motive for negation of the pregnancy (named in 60.8 % of cases) was fear of abandonment/negative response from others. The fertility rate among the women was high, but half of those with children had lost the custody of them. In neonaticide, the lack of awareness surrounding offenders' pregnancy, as well as the awareness of social environment, is more relevant than any other social variable.

Gender-specific risk factors for intimate partner homicide--a nationwide register-based study.

The present study examined gender differences in intimate partner homicide (IPH) and offender characteristics with the focus on putative gender-specific risk factors in a nationwide consecutive sample of homicide offenders. Data on all offenders (N = 642; 91 females, 551 males) convicted of homicide and subjected to a forensic psychiatric examination in Finland were obtained for the years 1995 and 2004. IPH offenders, 39 female and 106 male, were compared for risk factors with female and male offenders whose victims were not spouses. The forensic psychiatric examination reports were retrospectively analyzed, and the Hare Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R) was rated. Significant gender differences were found in four risk factors: employment, intoxication of victim, self-defense, and quarrel, mostly related to alcohol as a factor of the offense. The findings support the notion that female IPH is linked to defensive reactions resulting from prior abuse, and that IPH offenders resemble the general population more than offenders of other types of homicide.

Gender differences in filicide offense characteristics--a comprehensive register-based study of child murder in two European countries.

OBJECTIVE: This study searched for gender differences in filicidal offense characteristics and associated variables. METHODS: In this bi-national register-based study all filicide perpetrators (75 mothers and 45 fathers) and their crimes in Austria and Finland 1995-2005 were examined for putative gender differences. The assessed variables were associated with the offense characteristics, the offenders' socioeconomic and criminal history, and related stressful events. RESULTS: Mothers had previously committed violent offenses less often than fathers (5% vs. 28%, p<0.001) and they were less often employed (27% vs. 49%, p<0.05). Mothers' victims were on average younger than those of fathers; median ages of the victims were 3.4 and 6.1 years, respectively (p<0.001). Fathers were more often intoxicated during the offense (11% vs. 42%, p<0.001) and also used shooting as the method of operation more often than mothers (5% vs. 27%, p<0.001). Mothers used drowning, criminal negligence, and poisoning more often than fathers. Fathers' motives were more impulsive in nature (13% vs. 41%, p<0.001). After the killing, mothers tried to get rid of the body more often than fathers (25% vs. 7%, p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Fathers who commit filicide may represent at least two subgroups, the one not unlike the common homicide offender; the other, the overloaded, working and suicidal father. Mothers may include several types of offenders, one of which is the neonaticide offender. More detailed descriptions and, therefore, more research are needed. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Distressed parents and families need support and health care personnel, social work and other officials need to be alert to notice fatigued parents' signs of despair, especially when several stressful experiences amass. Straightforward enquiry to the situation and even practical and psychological help may be needed for enhanced protection of children. The role of employers should also be discussed in relation to the welfare of working parents.

Gender differences in homicide offenders' criminal career, substance abuse and mental health care. A nationwide register-based study of Finnish homicide offenders 1995-2004.

BACKGROUND: It is generally considered that women who kill are more likely to have a psychiatric disorder than their male counterparts, but as a relatively small group, women are much less often studied than men in this context. AIM: To explore gender differences in the psychosocial history of homicide offenders. METHOD: In this nationwide register-based study, data were extracted from the forensic psychiatric examination and crime reports of all 91 women prosecuted for homicide in Finland between 1995 and 2004 and from those of the next adjacent man convicted of a separate homicide (n = 91). RESULTS: Both female and male homicide offenders had a troubled childhood, but more women had witnessed or experienced family violence; more women had failed to complete their primary education. Men, however, were more likely to have had an offending history. Although there were no differences between the men and women in the frequencies of psychiatric diagnoses or of substance abuse, the women had more often received prior mental health treatment. The women were also more likely to have had a history of suicidal behaviour. CONCLUSIONS: Both female and male homicide offenders are a troubled group of people, with slightly different criminal careers. Many use mental health services and therefore prevention could be improved. The suggestion of a special sub-group of women characterised by early educational and behavioural difficulties needs replication, as it may have implications for service development.

Homicide, psychopathy, and aging--a nationwide register-based case-comparison study of homicide offenders aged 60 years or older.

With populations aging there have been some concerns on elderly offending. We compared elderly homicide offenders with a younger comparison group with special emphasis on psychopathy. We analyzed nationwide register-based material on all homicide offenders aged 60 or older who were in a forensic psychiatric examination in Finland 1995-2004 and their gender-matched comparison group of younger homicide offenders. The offenders 60 years or older were diagnosed less often than the younger ones with drug dependence and personality disorders and more often with dementia and physical illnesses. The mean Psychopathy Checklist--Revised total scores as well as factor and facet scores were lower in the 60 or older age group. The group 60 years or older had significantly lower scores on eight individual items of social deviance. The interpersonal/affective factor 1 scores did not differ. Understanding the possible underlying phenomena of violent behavior may provide help for developing services for the elderly.

Examination of psychopathy in female homicide offenders--confirmatory factor analysis of the PCL-R.

The construct of psychopathy is essential in explaining criminal behavior, but unfortunately the empirical research on psychopathy in women has been inconsistent. In this study the underlying structure of psychopathy in women was examined by testing the two-factor model by Hare (2003) and the three-factor solution by Cooke and Michie (2001) using confirmatory factor analysis. We replicated the study by Warren et al. (2003) using a nationwide sample of 97 female homicide offenders in order to facilitate the comparison of results. The prevalence of psychopathy in the present study was 9.3% with a cut-off of >or=30 and 21.6% with a cut-off of >or=25. The best fit for the data out of the tested models was the three-factor model with six testlets. The two-factor model proved to be too simple a model for the female homicide data. The findings regarding comorbidity of psychopathy with personality disorders show that the concept of psychopathy includes diagnostic criteria of several personality disorders, but further research is needed to establish a possible superordinate dimension. Further research on the PCL-R and putative gender differences in the expression of psychopathy in women and men as well as on the putative impact of cultural differences on the instrument is clearly needed.

The intergenerational cycle of criminality--association with psychopathy.

Preventive interventions early in life are likely to lower the risk of intergenerational transmission of criminal behavior. We investigated if psychopathy among homicidal offenders is associated with criminal offending among the offenders' offspring. The basic sample consisted of consecutive Finnish homicide offenders (during 1995-2004) who had been subjected to a forensic psychiatric examination and rated for a file-based PCL-R, and their offspring. Criminal behavior among both genders of the offspring was more common than in the general population. In general, the offspring's crimes against others (e.g., threat, intimidation, deprivation of freedom, breach of domicile) were associated with their parent's psychopathy. A grandfather's major mental disorder was associated with a high rate of crime committed by the offspring. Especially, the sons of male psychopathic homicidal offenders had the highest rate of committing crimes, which was often expressed as vandalism. However, both genders of offspring seem to require special preventive programs to ameliorate these problems.

Filicide in Austria and Finland--a register-based study on all filicide cases in Austria and Finland 1995-2005.

BACKGROUND: Filicide is the tragic crime of murdering one's own child. Previous research has found that the offending parents are commonly depressed and that suicide is often associated as an actual act or an intention. Yet, filicide is an underreported crime and previous studies have been strained with methodological problems. No comprehensive international studies on filicide have been presented in the literature until now. METHODS: This was a descriptive, comprehensive, register-based study of all filicides in Austria and Finland during 1995-2005. Filicide-suicide cases were also included. RESULTS: Most of the perpetrators were the biological mothers; in Austria 72%, in Finland 52%. Suicide followed filicide either as an attempt or a fulfilled act in 32% and 54% of the cases in Austria and Finland, respectively. Psychotic mood disorders were diagnosed for 10% of the living perpetrators in Austria, and 12% in Finland. Non-psychotic depression was diagnosed in 9% of surviving perpetrators in Austria, 35% in Finland. CONCLUSION: The data from the two countries demonstrated that filicide is such a multifaceted and rare phenomenon that national data from individual countries seldom offer sufficient scope for its thorough study. Further analyses are needed to produce a complete picture of filicide.

Homicides with mutilation of the victim's body.

Information on homicide offenders guilty of mutilation is sparse. The current study estimates the rate of mutilation of the victim's body in Finnish homicides and compares sociodemographic characteristics, crime history, life course development, psychopathy, and psychopathology of these and other homicide offenders. Crime reports and forensic examination reports of all offenders subjected to forensic examination and convicted for a homicide in 1995-2004 (n = 676) were retrospectively analyzed for offense and offender variables and scored with the Psychopathy Check List Revised. Thirteen homicides (2.2%) involved mutilation. Educational and mental health problems in childhood, inpatient mental health contacts, self-destructiveness, and schizophrenia were significantly more frequent in offenders guilty of mutilation. Mutilation bore no significant association with psychopathy or substance abuse. The higher than usual prevalence of developmental difficulties and mental disorder of this subsample of offenders needs to be recognized.

[Filicides in Finland]. / Vanhempien lapsiinsa kohdistamat henkirikokset Suomessa.

BACKGROUND: Filicides have decreased in Finland. MATERIALS AND METHODS: All filicides (child homicides by parents) in Finland during 1995-2005 were elucidated in a register study. The material consisted of 50 parents of 66 killed children. RESULTS: Altogether 15 parents also committed suicide. After the deed, 31 parents were subjected to psychiatric examination; ten out of them had a psychotic disorder. A personality disorder was found in 16 parents and a non-psychotic affective disorder in 12 parents. CONCLUSIONS: Homicidal parents differ from other homicidal persons. Prevention of suicides is also expected to prevent homicide mortality among children.

Differences between homicide and filicide offenders; results of a nationwide register-based case-control study.

BACKGROUND: Filicide, the killing of one's child, is an extraordinary form of homicide. It has commonly been associated with suicide and parental psychiatric illness. In the research on filicide, nationwide studies with comparison groups, specific perpetrator subgroups, and assessment of possible risk factors have been called for. The purpose of the current study was to provide all that. METHODS: In this nationwide register-based case-control study all filicide offenders who were in a forensic psychiatric examination in Finland 1995-2004 were examined and compared with an age- and gender matched control group of homicide offenders. The assessed variables were psychosocial history, index offence, and psychiatric variables as well as psychopathy using the PCL-R. RESULTS: Filicide offenders were not significantly more often diagnosed with psychotic disorders than the controls but they had attempted suicide at the crime scene significantly more often. Filicide offenders had alcohol abuse/dependence and antisocial personality less often than the controls. Filicide offenders scored significantly lower on psychopathy than the controls. Within the group of filicide offenders, the psychopathy items with relatively higher scores were lack of remorse or guilt, shallow affect, callous/lack of empathy, poor behavioral controls, and failure to accept responsibility. CONCLUSION: Since filicide offenders did not seem significantly more mentally disordered than the other homicide offenders, psychiatry alone cannot be held responsible for the prevention of filicide. Extensive international studies are needed to replicate our findings and provide more specific knowledge in order to enhance prevention.

Finnish sexual homicides: offence and offender characteristics.

Information on sexual homicide offenders is limited. The current study estimates the rate of sexual homicides in Finland and analyses sociodemographic characteristics, crime history, life course development, psychopathy, and psychopathology in sexual homicide and nonsexual homicide offenders. Crime reports and forensic examination reports of all offenders subjected to forensic examination and convicted for homicide in 1995-2004 (n=676) were retrospectively analyzed for offence and offender variables and scored with the Psychopathy Checklist-Revised. Eighteen sexual homicides (2.8%) were identified. Co-offending, strangulation and disposal of the body were more frequent crime scene variables in sexual than nonsexual homicides. Mental health problems and sexual abuse in childhood and sexual crime history were significantly more frequent in sexual than nonsexual homicide offenders. Over half of the sexual homicide offenders were psychopathic: compared to nonsexual homicide offenders they scored significantly higher on interpersonal and affective features of psychopathy.

Psychopathic traits and offender characteristics - a nationwide consecutive sample of homicidal male adolescents.

BACKGROUND: The aim of the study was to evaluate psychopathy-like personality traits in a nationwide consecutive sample of adolescent male homicide offenders and to compare the findings with those of a randomly sampled adult male homicide offender group. A further aim was to investigate associations between psychopathic traits and offender and offence characteristics in adolescent homicides. METHODS: Forensic psychiatric examination reports and crime reports of all 15 to 19- year- old male Finnish offenders who had been subjected to a forensic psychiatric examination and convicted for a homicide during 1995-2004 were collected (n = 57). A random sample of 57 adult male homicide offenders was selected as a comparison group. Offence and offender characteristics were collected from the files and a file-based assessment of psychopathic traits was performed using the Hare Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R) by trained raters. RESULTS: No significant differences existed between the adolescents and adults in PCL-R total scores, factor 2 (social deviance) scores, or in facets 3 (lifestyle) and 4 (antisocial). Adults scored significantly higher on factor 1 (interpersonal/affective) and facets 1 (interpersonal) and 2 (affective). The adolescent group was divided into two subgroups according to PCL-R total scores. One in five homicidal male adolescents met criteria for psychopathic personality using a PCL-R total score of 26 or higher. These boys significantly more often had a crime history before the index homicide, more frequently used excessive violence during the index homicide, more rarely lived with both parents until 16 years of age, had more institutional or foster home placements in childhood, had more school difficulties, more often had received special education, and, more often had contact with mental health services prior to age 18 years than boys scoring low on the PCL-R. They also more often had parental criminal history as well as homicide history of parents or near relatives than the group scoring low on the PCL-R. CONCLUSION: Homicidal boys behaved as antisocially as the homicidal adults. The adults, however, showed more both affective and interpersonal features of psychopathy. Homicidal adolescents with psychopathy-like personality character form a special subgroup among other homicidal youngsters. Recognizing their characteristics, especially in life course development, would facilitate effective prevention and intervention efforts.

Gender differences in Finnish homicide offence characteristics.

Approximately 10% of the homicides in Finland are committed by females. This study was designed to compare offence circumstances and crime scene behaviour among female and male homicide offenders. The forensic examination reports and crime reports of all female offenders prosecuted for a homicide between 1995 and 2004 were collected and content analysed (n=91). A sample of male offenders was selected for a comparison group. In addition to several bivariate analyses, two multidimensional scaling analyses were conducted to identify the underlying structure of the offence characteristics-related variables in male and female offenders. The results showed that family members were the victims of female offenders more frequently than of male offenders. Child victims were almost always killed by females. No significant difference emerged between the gender groups in the proportion of victims being former intimate partners. The results also showed that different offence characteristics relate to offender gender and type of victim. In male offenders, covering the body relates to moving and hiding an acquaintance victim's body, while in females it relates to emotional detachment and family member victim. For females, post-offence behaviours that relate to seek for help and regret were more frequent than for males. There were only marginal differences in the use of violence between females and males.

Intoxication and violent women.

Alcohol and drugs have been linked to severe violent offending among women as well as men. The purpose of this study was to make a contribution to the limited knowledge of characteristics related to the state of intoxication in violent female offenders. The putative differences in the characteristics of female offenders and their violent offenses in relation to the state of intoxication at the time of the violent offending were examined. Of a nation-wide sample of 109 female offenders found guilty of homicide and other violent crimes and incarcerated in 1999-2000 in Finland, 60 offenders participated in the study. Of these offenders 49 (81.7%) had been intoxicated at the time the of index offenses. These were compared with 11 (18.3%) non-intoxicated offenders using a structured interview, the Structured Clinical Interview II for DSM-IV (SCID-II) and the Hare Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R). The prevalence of substance abuse or dependence (73.3% and 0%), personality disorder (89.6% and 36.4%), particularly antisocial personality disorder (66.7% and 0%), as well as a history of criminality (69.4% and 0%) were significantly higher among the intoxicated women than among the non-intoxicated. The PCL-R scores were also significantly higher among the intoxicated offenders than among non-intoxicated offenders. The victims of the intoxicated women (23.9%) were less often emotionally close to the perpetrator than were the victims of the non-intoxicated women (66.6%). No differences emerged between the groups in experiences of childhood and adulthood abuse or stressful life events prior to the index crime. The findings indicate that intoxicated violent female offenders exhibit more of the characteristics previously found in violent men, than do the non-intoxicated female offenders. Moreover, the non-intoxicated group comprises both psychotic non-responsible and non-psychotic, fairly well-adjusted women, who are educated, working or studying at the time of the offense and has no history of criminality. Substance misuse constitutes an obvious risk factor for violent behavior in women, and therefore the prevention should include substance abuse treatment.

Changes over time in homicides by women: a register-based study comparing female offenders from 1982 to 1992 and 1993 to 2005.

BACKGROUND: The contribution of women to violent offending, including homicide, may be increasing as society changes. AIMS: The aim of this paper was to test for trends in homicide by women in Finland. METHODS: A retrospective register-based study was conducted by comparing two national cohorts: one from 1982 to 1992 and the other from 1993 to 2005. RESULTS: There was a small increase in the proportion of homicides committed by women over time, but the most striking difference between the cohorts was in the significantly higher frequency of alcohol abuse/dependence in the later cohort and of being under the influence of alcohol during the crime. Fewer perpetrators were regarded as lacking or being of diminished responsibility in the later cohort. The victims of the earlier cohort were emotionally closer to the offender than those of the later one. CONCLUSIONS: In Finland, there have been changes in characteristics of women who commit homicide and their crimes over time, with the apparent development of a subgroup of women who kill who are much more like men who kill than women in the 1980s and early 1990s. Preventing substance abuse and marginalization are likely to be important ways of preventing homicide by both female and male perpetrators.