U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government, Department of Justice.

NCJRS Virtual Library

The Virtual Library houses over 235,000 criminal justice resources, including all known OJP works.
Click here to search the NCJRS Virtual Library

Declining Number of Child Homicides in Finland, 1960-2009

NCJ Number
239172
Journal
Homicide Studies Volume: 16 Issue: 1 Dated: February 2012 Pages: 3-22
Author(s)
Martti Lehti; Juha Kääriäinen; Janne Kivivuori
Date Published
February 2012
Length
20 pages
Annotation
This study examined the increase of homicides of children in Finland.
Abstract
Since the 1960s, homicides against children have decreased dramatically in Finland. The article examines this decrease by disaggregating the trend in five child homicide types between 1960-1974 and 2003-2009. There were several factors reducing the motivation and opportunity to commit most child homicide types during the period. Some were results of active social policies, some were byproducts of the policies, and some were related to the change of the moral climate. Most of the factors were interdependent. However, one type of child homicide has been resistant to any of the factors and the decreasing general trend: maternal filicide-suicides. (Published Abstract)