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Articles

Classifying Filicide

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Pages 198-210 | Received 30 Mar 2015, Accepted 12 Jan 2016, Published online: 31 Mar 2016
 

ABSTRACT

Filicide is the act of killing one's own child. We propose a new classification of subtypes of filicide and make suggestions for helping its prevention. This binational, register-based study covers all cases of filicide and their perpetrators in Austria and Finland in the years 1995–2005. The following variables emerged as differentiating factors: gender, age of victim and offender, circumstances before and during the offence, the offender's socioeconomic and criminal background, and childhood conduct disorder. Latent class analysis (LCA) was used to identify profiles. We found five: (1) Homicidal–Suicidal Fathers; (2) Violent Impulsive Parents; (3) Single Sober Parents; (4) Prosocial, Psychotic Parents; and (5) Infanticidal Mothers. We present suggestions for focused strategies of prevention for each group.

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