ABSTRACT
This article explores the contribution of evolutionary theory to the understanding of causation and motive in filicide cases and also reviews special issues in the forensic evaluation of alleged perpetrators of filicide. Evolutionary social psychology seeks to understand the context in which our brains evolved, to understand human behaviors. The authors propose evolutionary theory as a framework theory to meaningfully appreciate research about filicide. Using evolutionary psychology as a theoretical lens, this article reviews the research on filicide over the past 40 years, and describes epidemiologic and typologic studies of filicide, and theoretical analyses from a range of disciplines.
Subject(s)
Forensic Psychiatry/methods , Homicide/psychology , Infanticide/psychology , Parents/psychology , Child , Homicide/classification , Homicide/legislation & jurisprudence , Humans , Infant , Infanticide/classification , Infanticide/legislation & jurisprudence , Mental Disorders/psychology , Motivation , Psychological TheoryABSTRACT
Filicide is the killing of a child by a parent. To protect potential homicide victims, it is necessary to examine and identify intrapsychic and interpersonal dynamics that result in filicide. The current filicide classification systems have intended to yield better etiological understanding of the crime and ultimately lead to prevention strategies and accurate death certification. A framework of motives and precipitating factors that lead to filicide by mothers offers a starting point to examine this emotionally evocative and complex phenomenon.
Subject(s)
Criminal Psychology/methods , Infanticide/classification , Infanticide/psychology , Mothers/classification , Mothers/psychology , Accidents/psychology , Age Factors , Altruism , Battered Women/psychology , Child , Child Abuse/mortality , Child Abuse/prevention & control , Child Abuse/psychology , Child, Preschool , Child, Unwanted/psychology , Coroners and Medical Examiners , Death Certificates , Euthanasia/psychology , Female , Forensic Nursing/methods , Forensic Psychiatry/methods , Humans , Infant , Infanticide/prevention & control , Infanticide/statistics & numerical data , Mothers/statistics & numerical data , Motivation , Nurse's Role , Precipitating Factors , Psychological Theory , Psychotic Disorders/psychologyABSTRACT
AIM: To determine socio-demographic features and criminal liability of individuals who committed filicide in Turkey. METHOD: The study involved 85 cases of filicide evaluated by the 4th Specialized Board of the Institute of Forensic Medicine in Istanbul in the 1995-2000 period. We assessed the characteristics of parents who committed filicide (age, sex, education level, employment status, and criminal liability) and children victims (age, sex, own or stepchild), as well as the causes of death. RESULTS: There were 85 parents who committed filicide (41 fathers and 44 mothers) and 96 children victims. The mean age of mothers who committed filicide (52% of filicides) was 26.5-/+7.7 years, and the mean age of fathers (48% of filicides) was 36.1-/+10.0 years (t=-5.00, p<0.001). Individuals diagnosed with psychiatric disturbances, such as schizophrenia (61%), major depression (22%), imbecility (10%), and mild mental retardation (7%), were not subject to criminal liability. Almost half of parents who committed filicide were unemployed and illiterate. CONCLUSION: Filicide in Turkey was equally committed by mothers and fathers. More than half of the parents were diagnosed with psychiatric disorders and came from disadvantageous socioeconomic environments, where unemployment and illiteracy rates are highly above the average of Turkey.
Subject(s)
Homicide/statistics & numerical data , Parents , Adolescent , Adult , Cause of Death , Child , Child Abuse/mortality , Child, Preschool , Criminal Law , Female , Homicide/classification , Humans , Infant , Infanticide/classification , Infanticide/statistics & numerical data , Male , Parents/psychology , Psychotic Disorders/epidemiology , Turkey/epidemiology , Vulnerable Populations/psychology , Vulnerable Populations/statistics & numerical dataSubject(s)
Infanticide/classification , Infanticide/legislation & jurisprudence , Maternal Behavior , Mothers , Culture , Female , Humans , Infant , United StatesABSTRACT
This article summarizes and reviews the literature on neonaticide, infanticide, and filicide. A literature review was conducted using the Medline database: the cue terms neonaticide, infanticide, and filicide were searched. One hundred-fifteen articles were reviewed; of these, 51 are cited in our article. We conclude that while infanticide dates back to the beginning of recorded history, little is known about what causes parents to murder their children. To this end, further research is needed to identify potential perpetrators and to prevent subsequent acts of child murder by a parent.
