An Analysis of Mothers and Fathers Who Kill Their Children: Examining Offense Characteristics and Adjudication Outcomes

Filicide is a crime that conflicts with nature in that it undermines our genetic fitness and parental investment and defies attachment theory. Yet, despite the crime of filicide being counterintuitive, the media frequently reports on cases involving parents who have killed their own child. This analysis involves examining open-source cases of 100 mothers and 100 fathers who have killed their children. Analyses will compare the differences between mothers and fathers in terms of offender and victim demographics, as well as mental health and criminal histories. Offense characteristics and adjudication outcomes will also be examined.https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/symposium2019/1003/thumbnail.jp