Filicide: a Comparison by sex and Presence or Absence of Self-Destructive Behavior

This study identified sociodemographic, contextual, situational, & individual variables, as well as certain behavioural warning signs, associated with filicide as a function of sex of the aggressors & the presence or absence of self-destructive behaviours. The data included all cases of filicide in Quebec from January 1986-March 1994 against youth under the age of 18. For the group of individuals with self-destructive behaviours, results indicate that men compared to women were more likely to commit spousal homicide, to kill a higher number of victims, to be going through a conjugal separation, to have committed conjugal violence, to have threatened suicide, & to have threatened to kill their spouse. Men who committed a self-destructive act perpetrated filicide as a means of reprisal against their spouse. (40 refs.) JA