The Challenge of Understanding and Preventing Filicide

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Background

Filicide, the killing of a child or children by a parent, stepparent, guardian, or equivalent, is a tragic, but largely unrecognized, universal social problem. Research on filicide has a relatively short history,
and knowledge is not yet advanced. The amount of research has, however, recently increased, which helped develop diverse and sophisticated frameworks. Concerns arising from this growing body of research have also drawn the attention of media to children’s deaths all around the world. While research is developing, the number of filicide deaths in many countries has remained stable, demonstrating the challenges involved in preventing filicide and the need for even more research on the subject.

Research to date has undoubtedly revealed the complexity of the problem and the many difficulties associated with addressing it. As researchers, professional frontline workers, and families join the discussion, many new research areas are emerging, for example, new contextual and predisposing factors such as constellations of culture, family and victim vulnerability, perpetrators’ psychological and social
characteristics, the victim-perpetrator relationships as well as availability and quality of health and welfare services. Little is still known of interaction the between these factors and how they vary
internationally.

The problem of filicide thus generates numerous questions, presenting the need for more discussion and
research on the subject. Examples of possible topics include, but are not limited to:

• Identification and analysis of patterns of filicide in any location or population group,
• Identification, analysis, and interaction of factors associated with filicide, factors like culture, domestic violence, mental illness, parental separation, substance abuse, and victim-perpetrator relationships,
• Escalation of behaviors leading to filicide triggers for filicide, red flags for professionals,
• Assisting filicide survivors, other family members, and friends afterward
• Increasing community awareness of the problem, and community and professional education,
• Engagement of potential perpetrators with services, prosecution of perpetrators, and management of perpetrators in the criminal justice service system.

Keywords: Filicide, Parental killing of children, family violence, domestic violence

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