Innocence Interrupted: A 25-Year Study of Reported Filicide Incidents in the United States, 1999 to 2023

This study examines filicide, the killing of a child by a parent or parental figure, using 25 years of data (1999-2023) from the National Incident-Based Reporting System (N = 3,974). Multinomial logistic regression was used to analyze variations in offender, victim, and incident characteristics across four victim age categories: neonaticide (within 24 hr of birth), infanticide (1-364 days), child filicide (1-17 years), and adult filicide (18+ years). Results reveal significant differences in offender age, sex, race, weapon use, and victim demographics. Neonaticide is most often associated with younger female offenders and the use of personal weapons, while adult filicide typically involves older male offenders and firearms. These findings underscore the need for age-specific prevention strategies, with implications for risk assessment, public health, and family violence prevention. By addressing limitations in the literature, including small-scale studies, this research complements the few extant large-scale studies, providing a comprehensive framework for understanding filicide dynamics and informing policy and practice.