I Killed My Children: Construing Pathways to Filicide

Abstract

Following George Kelly’s notion of sociality, this study attempts to construe the construction processes of filicidal fathers in South Africa. Semi-structured interviews scheduled according to Experience Cycle Methodology phases were employed with four such fathers. Kelly’s diagnostic constructs were used in the analysis of the interviews, offering insight into the pathways of construing which may lead to filicide-homicide. Methods of assessment and treatment are suggested which might be effective in reducing the risk of recidivism and enabling a revision of the construct system which might lead to the development of constructive alternatives to violence.

Acknowledgments

We are grateful to the filicidal participants, whose painful experience of the traumatic filicide-homicide contributed to the knowledge of domestic violence.

Notes

1 Violence in this study refers to physical and verbal violent acts.

2 The underlining of the word indicates the emphasis on the word (Atkinson & Heritage, 1984).

3 The capitalized words indicate loudly uttered utterances (Atkinson & Heritage, 1984).

4 Nyaope is an addictive South African drug consisting of heroin, marijuana, rat poison, morphine, methamphetamine, and ARV medication (Grelotti et al., 2014).

5 South African word for barbecue.

6 South African emotional expression.

7 South African emotional expression.

8 The double brackets indicate an act which occurred during an articulation of an utterance (Atkinson & Heritage, 1984).

9 “Moffie” is a South African derogatory word for homosexual.

10 “Before” refers to taking the child to the hospital before his condition deteriorated.

11 Pseudonyms are used throughout the paper to ensure the participants’ anonymity.