Filicide

Filicide is the deliberate act of a parent killing their own child. The term is derived from the Latin words *filius* and *filia* ('son' and 'daughter') and the suffix *-cide*, meaning to kill, murder, or cause death. It can refer to both the crime itself and the individual who commits it.

A 1999 U.S. Department of Justice study found that mothers were responsible for a higher proportion of child deaths during infancy between 1976 and 1997 in the United States, while fathers were more frequently linked to the murders of children aged eight or older. Parents were responsible for 61% of child murders under the age of five. In some cases, Filicide is accompanied by suicide. According to FBI statistics, approximately 450 children are murdered by their parents annually in the United States.

An in-depth longitudinal study of 297 Filicide cases and 45 Filicide-suicide cases in the United Kingdom between 1997 and 2006 revealed that 37% of perpetrators had a recorded mental illness at the time. Mood and personality disorders were the most common diagnoses, though psychosis accounted for 15% of cases. However, similar to findings in a large Danish study, most perpetrators had not previously engaged with mental health services. Female perpetrators were more likely to have given birth as teenagers, while fathers were more likely to have prior convictions for violent offenses and substance misuse. Infants were more frequently victims than older children, and a possible link to post-partum depression was noted.

Motives

Dr. Phillip Resnick's 1969 research identified five primary motives for Filicide, including "altruistic" killings, "fatal maltreatment," "unwanted child," and "spousal revenge." Altruistic killings occur when a parent believes the child would suffer in the world or is already enduring hardship. In cases of fatal maltreatment, the parent may not intend to kill but may cause death through neglect or abuse, such as in Munchausen syndrome by proxy. Spousal revenge killings—where a parent kills their child to harm a domestic partner—occur infrequently. Glen Carruthers, author of *Making sense of spousal revenge Filicide*, argued that perpetrators in these cases often view their children as tools to achieve personal goals.

Prevalence

In 2013, homicide ranked among the top five causes of death for children in the United States and was the leading cause of death for children aged 1 to 4 years. Research indicates a direct correlation between child abuse rates and child homicide rates. Many children killed by their parents had experienced physical abuse prior to their deaths.

Fatalities, United States, 2001–2006

Year	Fatalities
	Mother Only	Mother & Other	Father Only	Father & Other
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005	287	104	159	16
2006	288	121	138	16

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See Also

• Raina Mersane Ina Thaiday {{Filicide}}

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