Factors Associated with Weapon Use in Maternal Filicide

Abstract

The objective of this study was to identify factors associated with weapon use in a group of filicidal women. Clinical data were gathered from the charts of sixty filicidal women evaluated at Michigan's Center for Forensic Psychiatry or through Connecticut's Psychiatric Security Review Board from 1970 to 1996. Factors associated with weapon use were determined using chi squares, ANCOVAS, and a logistic regression. Results were compared to national statistics for child homicide from the Department of Justice Uniform Crime Reports (UCR). Weapon was defined as knife or gun for the study. Weapons were used by one of four women in our study. Guns were used by 13% of filicidal women and knives by 12%. Odds ratio showed that psychotic women were eleven times more likely to kill their child with a weapon than their non-psychotic counterparts (11.2; p = .008). Psychosis was present in every mother who killed her child with a knife and in seven of eight women who killed their children with a gun. Younger children were less likely to be killed with weapons (ANCOVA; F = 8.28; p = .006). This finding was independent of presence or absence of maternal psychosis. These results show that psychotic women are more likely than non-psychotic women to kill their children with weapons. They also show that mothers are more likely to use weapons to kill older children than younger children.

Methods of homicide in England and Wales: a comparison by diagnostic group

“…The results of the current study, alongside such other evidence, would therefore suggest the potential benefits of increased awareness for possible violence among people with affective disorder, particularly depressed parents with children and the elderly (Malphurs, Eisdorfer, & Cohen, 2001), and where other factors such as mental illness, co-morbid personality disorder, or comorbid substance dependence/misuse are also evident. Educational programmes about the symptoms of depression should target not only parents but also mental health professionals, paediatricians, GPs, police, and family members (Lewis et al, 1998).…”

“…Offenders with schizophrenia were found to be more likely to kill a blood relative and to use a sharp instrument, whereas kicking and hitting were associated with a diagnosis of The Journal of Forensic Psychiatry & Psychology 287 personality disorder or drug dependence, and taking a weapon from the scene of the crime was associated with alcohol dependent offenders. Other studies investigating homicide characteristics in the mentally disordered population have focussed either on two-group comparisons (i.e., psychotic v. non-psychotic, personality disorder v. psychoses; Gottlieb, Gabrielsen, & Kramp, 1987;Putkonen, Collander, Honkasalo, & Lo¨nnqvist, 2001;Steury & Choinski, 1995) or have been relatively small, involving geographically restricted samples of fewer than 100 cases (Lewis, Baranoski, Buchanan, & Benedek, 1998;Lewis & Bunce, 2003). Although providing valuable insight into methods of homicide and weapon use, such studies can be criticised for being subject to selection bias and for being limited in their generalisability.…”

Filicide: Historical review and prevention of child death by parent

“…Lewis et al (1998) found that psychotic women were over 11 times as likely to use weapons to kill their children. These authors found that 36% of psychotic women used weapons compared to only 5% of those without psychosis.…”

“…They are more likely to be involved in psychiatric care and frequently voiced concern for the welfare of their children prior to the act. Psychotic mothers are more likely to kill older children and to have multiple victims (Lewis, Baranoski, Buchanan, & Benedek, 1998).…”

Maternal Filicide and Mental Illness in Italy: A Comparative Study

“…Of these few comparative studies, Lewis, Baranoski, Buchanan, and Benedek (1998) reported that in their sample, psychotic filicidal mothers were significantly more likely than nonpsychotic mothers to use a gun or knife to kill their child or children. In a second comparative study of mentally ill filicidal mothers, Lewis and Bunce (2003) found that psychotic mothers were more likely to kill more of their children and attempt suicide in contrast to filicidal mothers without psychosis.…”