CHARLES L, ROBINSON. PH.D.Cllnical and Forensic Psychology

Po.t Ofrice Bot 299Man h.rtd, Mdi^e o4;r57207-622-7885

E-Meil : p sf xpn@ a o I.c on@ tDufffi sic -psycho Io gi8t,co,n

F'ILICIDE:

MOMS WHO KILL THEIR CHILDREN

AMERICAI\I COLLEGE OT' FORENSIC PSYCEOLOGY

15IH ANIYUAL SYMPOSITJM

THT]RSDAY, APRIL 29Tf

. SAIITAF]EI\EWME)ilCO

CHARLES L. ROBINSON, PH.D.Clinical and Fotensic PsVchology

Post ofice Bo, 299Matuhester, Maine 04351207-6U-1885

E -M a i | ; p syxpf t@ a o 1.. o tu@ uu.f or en s i c -p sy c h o I o gist. co n

I. TIIE F'ORENSIC CONTEXTS OT'FILICIDE

A. CRMINALRESPONSIBILITYB. COMPETENCE TO STAND TRIALC. PROFILINGCONSIDERATIONSD. CRII]CAIINCIDENTDEBRIEFING/COMMUNITYINIERVENTIONE. PREVENTIONF. RELEASE/DISCIIARGE

II. AGD,TYPOLOGY

A. NEONATICIDE: TIIE TAKING OF THE LIFE OF AN INFANI 24 HOtr'RS OLDOR YOIJNGER

B. INFANTICIDE: TIIE TAKING OF THE LIFE OF A CHILD ONE YEAR OLD ORLESS

C. EARLY FILICIDE: THE TAKING OF TI.IE LIFE OFA CHILD AGES I YEARTO 5 YEARS

D. LATE FILICIDE: THE TAKING OF THE Lm OF A CHILD 5 rTARS OLD OROLDER AND TIIE TAKING OF TIIE LIFE OF AN ADIJLT CHILD

E. FAMILICIDE: THE TAKINC OF THE LIFE OF A SPOUSE, EX-SPOUSEA4ATEAND ONE OR MORE CHILDREN

F, EXTENDED SIIICIDE: THE TAKING OF ONE'S OWN LIFE FOLLOWINGTI-IE KILLING OF ANOT1IER (IN TT]IS INSTANCE A CHILD OR CHILDREN)

III. INCIDENCE AI\D CHARACTERISTICS

A. FILICIDAI BEHAVIOR IS EXHIBITED BY MOST FEMALES I!f,{MMALSINCLUD]NG TI{E HIGIIER PRIMAIES.

B. INCIDENCE IN TTIE U.S. APPEARS TO BE INCREASING WTITI 8.8HOMCIDES OF CHILDREN T]NDER ONE PER HIJNDRED TIIOUSAND LN'EBIRTHS IN TTIE PERIOD OF 1988 - 1991 COMPARED TO 7,2 HOMICIDESPER ONE HUNDRED TIIOUSAND LIVE BIRTHS IN 1983 - 1987(o!'ERPECK).

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MOTI{ERS ARE LESS LIKELY TO TAKE THE LIFE OF CHILDREN O!'ERONE YEAR TTIAN ARE FATHERS, STEPFATI{ERS, BOYFRM}DS ANDOTHER MALES.MOTIIERS WHO KILL OLDER CHILDREN ARE MORE LIKELY TO BEPSYCHOTIC,FACTORS SUCH AS O\'ERALL ECONOMIC STATUS, ACCESS TOABORIION, AND HOMICIDE RATES DO NOT CLEARLY CORREI-ATE WTII{RATES OF FILICIDE.CDC ESTIMATES T1{AT THE RATE OF CHILD HOM]CIDE, STNCIDE ANDFIREARMS RELATED DEATH IN THE UNITED STATES IS FryE TIMESHIGHER TI{AN THE RATE OF TTIE 25 OTHER INDUSTRIALZED NATIONSCOMBINED.HEAD TRAIJMA IS TTIE MOST COMMON FORM OF FATAL INJIJRY,SUNDAY IS THE MOST LIKELY DAY ON WHTCH A CHILD MEETS DEAT1I

BY FILICIDE.NEONATICIDES ARE ALMOST AI,WAYS CARRIED OUT BY MOTHERS.MOT}IERS SELDOM COMMIT FAMILICIDE. MOTI{ERS DO, HOWEVE&ENGAGE IN EXTENDED SLIICIDE BY TAKING THE LIFE OF A CHILD ANDTTIEIROWNLIFE,

rV. WHY DO MOTITNRS KILL THEIR C}{rI DREN?

The cicunstances, motivations and corsequetrces of fiIicide have a doculrflted historyextstrdiDg to the s€cond Ddlleoniun B.C. CoEl'lon fsctors follow across time aad cultue. Ttes€factors include the killirg of urwsnted childr€4 killing deformed chiftlrer ("changelings") andeconomic scarcity. An awar€ness of}ltat would now be terEed psyobiatrio determhants of filicidehave beer recoguized for hundreds ofyears. Social attitudes and sadctiotrs regsrdhg filicide varyacross time and cultures. The following three part conc€ptuslizatioo of filicide is an efon to eqloythe Biopsychosocial model to utrdslstaod why mothers kill thEir children.

A DISORDERDRIVEN

L Schizoohrenic Soectrum Disorders

Delusiom and halluciaatio$ arc oftsn foudd in mothe$ rlto take the lives oftheirchil&etr. Mothers &to eryloy w€apons are more likeb to suffer ftom a majorpsychiatric disorder with these syqtoEs. Mothers $,ho take the lives of olderchildren are more likely to erfei from psychiatdc disorde$, particularly paranoidschizopbrenia.

D.

E.

F.

H.

I.J,

B,

2. Affective Disorders

Profound depressiols hao4rer the motisr's ability to pat€nl and thereby inoreasefeeliags ofinodequacy and hehlessness. Mothers *to commit filicide and extendedsuicides often srffer ftom depression accoryanied by delusions.

2. PostnaftumDeprpssiotr

Susman's rwiew of poslpartun dspressiotr indicated thst syqtoms are likely tobegh bstweq the thid ord ssverth day po$ delivery. Most postpamrm depressionsresolve withitr two lo twefue weeks, Sytetoos itrclude ircomLi!, headache, auiety,tesrfirlness, suicidal preoccupatiot and ol occasiol oada. Thoughts ofbfa.lticideare trot rmcorEnorl Susde eSimated tbat serious poSparturn psychosis (as opposedto deprcssion) oacurs itr two per one thousand deliveries. These eKrememanifestalions of the disorder are twiaally s€str withia the first two weeks posldelivery. They do place a mother at risk for harm or filicide to her infanr.Postprrtum depression, howwer, accounts for fewer Elicides thatr ir commoDlvsuppos€d.

Dependency Driven

l, Most Eeo$tioides are dependency driven. They are fueled by significartdenial aad isolrtioa, Most filioides ofaettoms 8!e contritted by Bothers\ato give birth outside the hospital. A.lthougb subject ro significaat degreesof disassocirtio,n, reonaticidal Dothers ue trot psyc,hotio ia the classical seuse.They usually hide their pregancy &om iotimates.

2. Filiaides are occasiorrlly canied od by highly dependeat females in batteringrelation$bs. They are oflen consciously or unaoDscioudy motivated rooommir filicide by their abstrdonitrg/b8ttedtrg orres.

3. Dependency drivea filioides can occur among substalce dependent mothers.They are not classically psychotic, Thes€ mothers Eay kill io the course ofsubsia[ce abuse whhdrawal or acute intoxicatiotr.

NEGLECT

The najority ofmaternal filocides occur as a result oftr€glect and most infants die asa res t ofchek;g and iu4act injwies Mothers who cause the deaths ofthsir infatrtsthough shaking, iqact or over discipline are typically molhen with personalitydisorder, low socioeconornic status aod some reduction in cognitive capacity(tu$worthy $rti$ical deoographic profiles ofthese mothers are not available. The

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svsileble litenture aod my owtr expedsoce are the bases of the foregoingdawdptioa). Suprisitrgv, $bsinc€ abuse is not typically a factor for these mothers,although their nateVspouses oftgn have $bstance abuse difficulties.

V. RISKFACTORS

A. LIMITEDPRENATAL.CAREB. YOIJNG AGE AT MATEf,$IITYC, ISOLATIOND. HISTORY OF DEPRESSION AND SUICIDAL IDEATIONE. A SECOND OR THIRD CHILD BOP.I\I TO A YOI.ING MOTHERF. THE ABSENCE OF INTERGENERATIONAL SUPPORTG PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERH. LOW BIRTH WEIGHT/APGAR SCORE OF TI{E CHILD

VI. COUNTER TRANSFT,RENCE ISSUES AI{D BIASES

A. DENIALB. ANGERC. FEAR

CHARLES L. ROBINSON, PH,D.Clinical and Fotensic Psychology

Post Office Box 299Ma4chestd, Maine 0!'.351207-622-1885

E-Mail : psyrryrt@ ao I.conu@ u. 106 si. -p sv c h o I o gist. c om

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