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Maternal filicide: a cross-national comparison
1William S. Hall Psychiatric Institute and University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia 29202, USA. grm70@aol.com
Journal of Clinical Psychology
|August 8, 1998
Summary
Women who murder their children are typically mentally ill, new mothers under 30, facing acute stressors with limited support. This pattern is consistent across countries, indicating a specific profile of filicidal mothers.
Area of Science:
- Forensic Psychiatry
- Criminology
- Developmental Psychology
Background:
- Feticide, or filicide, is a rare but serious offense.
- Understanding the characteristics of women who commit filicide is crucial for prevention and intervention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare demographic, clinical, and offense characteristics of women charged with filicide in a forensic psychiatric setting.
- To compare these characteristics with multinational, British, and Canadian samples of filicidal women.
Main Methods:
- Review of 20 adult women charged with filicide undergoing pretrial evaluation.
- Comparative analysis of demographic, historical, clinical, forensic, and offense data.
Main Results:
- Women studied were typically married, low-income, mentally ill, new mothers under 30.
- Offenses often involved a single preschool-aged child, committed alone and without weapons.
- Consistent characteristics were observed across different national samples.
Conclusions:
- Filicide by women appears to be linked to severe mental illness and acute life stressors.
- Insufficient personal resources and systemic support may contribute to these tragic events.
- The findings suggest a recognizable profile of women who commit filicide, aiding in risk assessment.