Abstract
The purpose of this study was to identify sociodemographic, contextual, situational, and individual variables, as well as certain behavioral warning signs, associated with filicide as a function of sex of the agressors and the presence or absence of self-destructive behaviours. The data cover all officially registered filicides committed in Quebec from January 1, 1986, to March 31, 1994, against youths under the age of 18 years. For the group of individuals who have self-destructive behaviours, results indicate that men compared to women are more likely to commit spousal homicide, to kill a higher number of victims, to be going through a conjugal separation, to have committed conjugal violence, to have threatened suicide, and to have threatened to kill their spouse. For the group of individuals who commit no self-destructive acts, women are more likely to present with a depressive disorder, whereas men are more likely to maltreated their children. Men who do not commit a self-destructive act are characterized by a significantly higher likelihood of maltreatment against their children and of tyrannical discipline, whereas men who commit a self-destructive act perpetrate filicide as a means of reprisal against their spouse. Results underscore the importance of considering the different groups of individuals who commit filicide as a function of sex as well as presence or absence of self-destructive behaviour.
Similar content being viewed by others
Notes
Familicide is the murder of one’s spouse or ex-spouse and at least of one or more of their children.
We are beholden to the Bureau du Coroner en chef de Québec (Office of the Chief Coroner of Quebec) for its collaboration in carrying out this project.
References
Adinkrah, M. (2003). Men who kill their own children: Paternal filicide incidents in contemporary Fiji. Child Abuse and Neglect, 27, 557–568.
Alder, C., & Polk, K. (2001). Child victims of homicide. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Bénézech, M. (1991). Dépression et crime : Revue de la littérature et observations originales. Annales Médico-psychologiques, 149, 150–165.
Campion, J. F., Cravens, J. M., & Covan, F. (1988). A study of filicidal men. American Journal of Psychiatry, 145, 1141–1144.
Cheung, P. T. K. (1986). Maternal filicide in Hong Kong, 1971–85. Medicine, Science and the Law, 26, 185–192.
Collins, P. L., Shaughnessy, M. F., Bradley, L., & Brown, K. (2001). Filicide–suicide: In search of meaning. North American Journal of Psychology, 3, 277–292.
Conner, K. R., Cerulli, C., & Caine, E. D. (2002). Threatened and attempted suicide by partner-violent male respondents petitioned to family violence court. Violence and Victims, 17, 115–125.
Cooper, M., & Eaves, D. (1996). Suicide following homicide in the family. Violence and Victims, 11, 99–112.
Daly, M., & Wilson, M. (1988). Evolutionary social psychology and family homicide. Science, 242, 519–524.
Dauvergne, M. (2002). L’homicide au Canada, 2001. Juristat, 22, 1–18.
D’Orban, P. T. (1979). Women who kill their children. British Journal of Psychiatry, 134, 560–571.
De Premorel, B. (1993). Le filicide paternel. In J.-L. Viaux (Ed.), Enfance en justice. Roven, France: Publications de l’Université de Roven.
Dubé, M. (1998) Étude rétrospective des facteurs de risque et des indices comportementaux précurseurs de filicide chez une cohorte de parents québécois. Thèse de doctorat inédite, Université de Montréal.
Dubé, M., & Hodgins, S. (2001). Filicides maternels et paternels maltraitants: Facteurs de risque et indices comportementaux précurseurs. Revue québécoise de psychologie, 22, 81–98.
Dubé, M., Hodgins, S., Léveillée, S., & Marleau, J. D. (2004). Étude comparative de filicides maternels et paternels : Facteurs associés et indices comportementaux précurseurs. Revue psychiatrie & violence et Forensic, Numéro spécial, Mai 2004, 31–36.
Ewing, P. (1997). Fatal families : The dynamics of intrafamilial homicide. United States of America: Sage.
Fedorowycz, O. (2001). L’homicide au Canada. Juristat, 21, 1–18.
Felthous, A. R., & Hempel, A. (1995). Combined homicide-suicides: A review. Journal of Forensic Sciences, 40, 846–857.
Fornes, P., Druilhe, L., & Lecomte, D. (1995). Chilhood homicide in Paris, 1990–1993: A report of 81 cases. Journal of Forensic Sciences, 40, 201–204.
Husain, A., & Daniel, A. A. (1984). A comparative study of filicidal and abusive mothers. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 29, 596–598.
Langer, W. L. (1974). Infanticide: A historical survey. History of Childhood Quarterly, 1, 353–365.
Marks, M. N., & Kumar, R. (1996). Infanticide in Scotland. Medicine, Science and the Law, 36, 299–305.
Marleau, J. D., Roy, R., Laporte, L., Webanck, T., & Poulin, B. (1995). Homicide d’enfants commis par la mère. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 40, 142–149.
Marleau, J. D., Poulin, B., Webanck, T., Roy, R., & Laporte, L. (1999a). Paternal filicide: A study of 10 men. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 44, 57–63.
Marleau, J. D., Roy, R., Webanck, T., Laporte, L., & Poulin, B. (1999b). Les parents qui tuent leurs enfants. In J. Proulx, M. Cusson, & M. Ouimet (Eds.), Les violences criminelles (pp. 107–129). Les Presses de l’Université Laval.
Meszaros, K., & Fischer-Danzinger, D. (2000). Extended suicide attempt: Psychopathology, personality and risk factors. Psychopathology, 33, 5–10.
McGrath, P. (1992). Maternal filicide in Broadmoor Hospital 1919–69. Journal of Forensic Psychiatry, 3, 271–297.
Mouzos, J., & Rushforth, C. (2003). Family homicide in Australia. Australian Institute of Criminology, Canberra (Australia), no. 255. 6 p.
Paris, J., Nowlis, D., & Bowen, R. (1987). Long term follow-up of borderline patients in a general hospital. Comprehensive Psychiatry, 28, 530–535.
Resnick, P. J. (1969). Child murder by parents: A psychiatric review of filicide. American Journal of Psychiatry, 126, 325–334.
Resnick, P. J. (1970). Murder of the newborn: A psychiatric review of neonaticide. American Journal of Psychiatry, 126, 1414–1420.
Rodenburg, M. (1971). Child murder by depressed parents. Canadian Psychiatric Association Journal, 16, 41–48.
Rosenbaum, M. (1990). The role of depression in couples involved in murder–suicide and homicide. The American Journal of Psychiatry, 147(8), 1036–1039.
Scott, P. D. (1973). Parents who kill their children. Medicine, Science and the Law, 13, 120–126.
Silver, D., & Cardish, R. (1991). BPD outcome studies : Psychotherapy implications. Presented at the American Psychiatric Association, New Orleans.
Stone, M. (1990). The fate of borderline patients. Successful outcome and psychiatric practice. New York: Guilford.
Vanamo, T., Kauppi, A., Kankola, K., Merikanto, J., & Räsänen, E. (2001). Intra-familial child homicide in Finland 1970–1994: Incidence, causes of death and demographic characteristics. Forensic Science International, 17, 199–204.
Wallace, A. (1986). Homicide: The social reality. Sydney, Australia: New South Wales Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research.
Wilczynski, A. (1997). Child homicide. London: Greenwich Medical Media Ltd.
Wilson, M., Daly, M., & Daniele, A. (1995). Familicide: The killing of spouse and children. Aggressive Behavior, 21, 275–291.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Léveillée, S., Marleau, J.D. & Dubé, M. Filicide: A Comparison by Sex and Presence or Absence of Self-destructive Behavior. J Fam Viol 22, 287–295 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10896-007-9081-3
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10896-007-9081-3