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Adopted children who kill their adoptive parents
James T Hubbell1, Kathleen M Heide1, Norair Khachatryan1
1Department of Criminology, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA.
Behavioral Sciences & the Law
|August 30, 2019
Summary
This study analyzes 46 cases of adopted children killing adoptive parents, using news reports to explore motives and outcomes. It compares these parricide cases to those involving biological parents.
Area of Science:
- Criminology
- Forensic Psychology
- Sociology
Background:
- Parricide research predominantly focuses on biological parent killings.
- Homicide databases lack data on adopted children killing adoptive parents, hindering research.
- This study addresses a significant gap in understanding parricide within adoptive families.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze media reports of 46 cases of adopted children killing adoptive parents.
- To examine offender and victim demographics, incident characteristics, and legal processing.
- To compare profiles and explore potential explanations for parricide in adopted children.
Main Methods:
- Content analysis of 46 international news reports on adopted children killing adoptive parents.
- Classification of cases based on motives and circumstances reported in media.
- Examination of offender/victim demographics and legal case progression.
Main Results:
- Detailed examination of demographics, incident specifics, and legal outcomes for 46 parricide cases.
- Identification of motives and circumstances through media analysis.
- Comparison of adopted children parricide profiles with those of biological parent killings.
Conclusions:
- Highlights unique aspects of parricide involving adopted children.
- Discusses potential contributing factors such as adopted children syndrome and reactive attachment disorder.
- Suggests directions for future research on this understudied phenomenon.
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