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J Am Acad Psychiatry Law 35:1:74-82 (2007)
Copyright © 2007 by the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law.
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REGULAR ARTICLE

A Review of Maternal and Paternal Filicide

Dominique Bourget, MD, Jennifer Grace, MA and Laurie Whitehurst, PhD

Dr. Bourget is Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry, University of Ottawa, and Forensic Psychiatrist, Royal Ottawa Hospital, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. She is also Coroner, Québec, Canada. Ms. Grace is teacher, Simcoe County District School Board, Ontario, Canada. Dr. Whitehurst is Professor, Department of Psychology, University of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Address correspondence to: Dominique Bourget, MD, Royal Ottawa Mental Health Centre, 1145 Carling Avenue, Ottawa, ON K1Z 7K4, Canada. E-mail: dbourget{at}rohcg.on.ca

Filicide, the murder of a child by a parent, is a multifaceted phenomenon with various causes and characteristics. This review of the existing literature delineates the present state of knowledge regarding filicide and illustrates similarities and differences between offenses perpetrated by mothers and by fathers. The importance of numerous reports of an association between filicide and parental pre-existing psychiatric disorders is compounded by indications that a significant number of homicidal parents come to the attention of psychiatrists or other health professionals before the offense occurs. As prevention implies the recognition of causes involved in particular situations, a better understanding of potentially fatal parental/familial dynamics leading to filicide could facilitate the identification of risk and enable effective intervention strategies.






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Copyright © 2007 by the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law.