Why Do Parents Commit Filicide?

In the news recently there are more incidents of filicide, the criminal acts that are committed by parents against their child. According to the FBI statistics about five infants under the age of 1 are killed each week in the United States. There is no particular geographical location for this type of crimes; however it is less likely to occur in wealthier families. It does not matter if it is summer, spring, winter or fall, weekend or weekday, but the crime usually occurs in the evenings. Researcher found that the most common methods of killing by parents were with “personal weapons,” such as choking, beating, or drowning. Caucasian men and women between the age of 20 to 30 middle and lower class parents are more likely to commit filicide.
Three sociological theories, conflict, structural functionalism and symbolic interaction explain the different aspects of the family institution and the problem of why these types of crime occur. Observation of the family, not just the infant may detect a problem before it turns into a criminal act.
In the news recently there are more incidents of filicide, the criminal acts that are committed by parents against their children.
Infanticide is the killing of an infant from birth to 12 months, and child homicide is the murder of a child in general. Northern University criminologist James Alan Fox collects data each year from the FBI supplemental Homicide Division to compile reports and record. More than three decades, FBI homicide data shows patterns that stand out when parents kills their children. Three out of four child victims are younger than 5 years old. While it is thought that women kill more record show that fathers (men) are most likely to kill. On an average, six children are killed by abuse from a parent or guardian in Memphis, TN every year. Scarborough was just 4-months old when police say her father beat her to death because she wouldn’t stop crying. Within the past month 4 children under the age of two have been killed by their parents, police says this is a problem that we must get a handle on. So far this year five children have been killed by abuse or neglect. The numbers fluctuate, last year (2014) it was four, in 2013 there were 13 and this is just in one city, one small corner of the United States. The deadliest year in the past decade was 2008 with 14 children
killed. According to the FBI statistics about five infants under the age of 1 are killed each week in the United States. The incident rate of about 500 children is intentionally murdered by a parent annually. The United States ranked eleventh in 1983 for infants less than 1 year killed and fourth, for those killed 1 through 14 years. According to the National Bureau of Economic Research the legalization of abortion, which was completed in 1973 was the most important factor in the decline in neonatal mortality during the period from 1964 to 1977. The infanticide rate during the first hour of life dropped from 1.41 per 100,000 during 1963 to 1972 to .44 per 100,000 for 1974 to 1983; the rate during the first month of life declined, whereas those for older infants rose during this time. A 1999 U. S. Department of Justice study concluded that between 1976 and 1997 that mother was responsible for a higher share of children killed during infancy and father were more likely to murder children age 8 or older. Study shows that 52 percent of children killed by their mother were male (maternal filicide) and 57 percent of children killed by their father were male (paternal filicide). Parents were responsible for 61 percent of child murders under the age of five. In 2011 an estimated 1,570 children died from abuse or neglect (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration on Children, Youth, and Families 2012).
There is no particular geographical location for this type of crime; however it is less likely to occur in urban/suburban and wealthier families.
Most reports of abuse are inner- city, low income, less educated underprivileged children by parents. Psychiatrists and criminologist say parents who commit infanticide or filicide to their children generally fit into one of these categories; a parent suffering a psychotic break, frequent depression, psychosis, prior mental health treatment, and suicidal thoughts, and hallucinations to kill; a mother kills her child out of love; she believes death to be in the child's best interest; parent acting out of revenge against a spouse or partner; maltreatment, death is usually not the anticipated outcome; it results from child abuse, neglect, or Munchausen syndrome; an unwanted child, a mother thinks of her child as a hindrance; and the rarest, spouse revenge, when a mother kills her child specifically to emotionally harm the child's father. However, infanticide is often related to economic necessity of the inability to provide for the infant. The highest rate of victimization is in the children from birth to 1 year old and the children with disabilities. The victims of abuse are higher for African-American, multiracial, and American Indians/Alaska Native children (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration on Children, Youth, and Families 2012) Abuse is more likely to occur in families where there is a lot of
stress that can result from a family history of violence, drug or alcohol abuse, poverty, chronic health problem, and social isolation (Center for Disease Control and Prevention 2012). It does not matter if it is summer, spring, winter or fall, weekend or weekday the crimes usually occur in the evenings. It appears that most of these crimes occur when a parent is left alone for a period of time, whether through divorce or a failed relationship the abuse is taken out on the child. The mothers were often poor, socially isolated, full-time caregivers, who were victims of domestic violence or had other relationship problems. Disadvantaged socioeconomic backgrounds and primary responsibility for the children were common. Persistent crying of the child factors were sometimes precipitants for the filicide. Some mothers had previously abused the child, while others were mentally ill and devoted to their child. Neglectful or abusive parents were often substance abusers. Many of the perpetrators had psychosis, depression, or suicidal with no coping skills of how to handle a stress overload.