NCJ Number
226570
Journal
Journal of Forensic Sciences Volume: 54 Issue: 2 Dated: March 2009 Pages: 463-468
Date Published
March 2009
Length
6 pages
Annotation
This paper reviews the literature on paternal filicide (fathers killing their children), in order to identify common characteristics of these fathers.
Abstract
The study did not find any single attribute that characterized these fathers; however, a collection of characteristics might assist in identifying them. Often, these men kill more than one victim, including more than one child as well as their spouses. Some fathers commit suicide after the murder. Methods of killing involved violence that resulted in wounds. The crimes may be fueled by rage in addition to mental illness. Those who manifested mental illness may not have sought help or received treatment for their psychiatric symptoms. On some occasions, however, mental health professionals may have contact with these fathers following incidents of rage or a problematic manifestation of mental illness. Clinicians should assess for the presence of thoughts of harming their children in a wide variety of men manifesting rage and aggression. All of the articles reviewed in this study contained data related to fathers who killed their children, and the number of fathers included in each of the studies was six or more. The information provided was quantitative or qualitative; case reports were excluded. All of the studies were published in English in peer-reviewed journals during the last 50 years (1957-2007). 2 tables and 32 references