NCJ Number
126819
Date Published
1990
Length
35 pages
Annotation
Juvenile involvement in parricide, the killing of parents, is quite high when considered in relation to the proportion of total homicide arrests involving juveniles.
Abstract
Adolescents who kill parents are different from adults who kill parents. Similar weapon use by both juveniles and adults does not make a murder equivalent, and failure to consider the adolescent status of the homicide offender in a parricide case is short-sighted for a number of reasons. Unlike adults, adolescents are at higher risk of becoming a parricide offender when conditions in the home are unfavorable because of their limited options and alternatives; adolescents cannot simply leave and set up residence elsewhere. Juvenile parricide offenders have far less life experience than adults and cannot be expected to cope equally with deplorable environmental conditions. In addition, adolescents are not as likely to perceive alternative courses of action and weigh different strategies. Cases presented in the professional literature suggest that parricide is committed by severely abused children who are pushed beyond their limits, severely mentally ill children, and dangerously antisocial children. The reaction of the judicial system to abused youth who kill their victimizing parents seems to be becoming more compassionate. As public awareness of child abuse has increased, arguments by defense attorneys that these children acted in self-defense are winning more favor among jurors. In addition to jury verdicts, indications of changed sentencing attitudes and practices are noticeable. 85 references