Citation

Holland KM, Brown SV, Hall JE, Logan JE. J. Interpers. Violence 2018; 33(3): 379-401.

Affiliation

National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2018, SAGE Publishing)

DOI

10.1177/0886260515605124

PMID

26385898

Abstract

Homicide-suicide incidents involving child victims can have a detrimental impact on survivors of the violence, family members and friends of the decedents, and other community members, but the rare occurrence of these acts makes using quantitative data to examine their associated antecedents challenging. Therefore, using qualitative data from the 2003-2011 [USA] National Violent Death Reporting System, we examined 175 cases of homicide-suicide involving child victims in an effort to better understand the complex situational factors of these events. Our findings indicate that 98% of homicide-suicides with child victims are perpetrated by adults (mostly parents) and propelled by the perpetrators' intimate partner problems, mental health problems, and criminal/legal problems. These events are often premeditated, and plans for the violence are sometimes disclosed prior to its occurrence.

FINDINGS provide support for several theoretical perspectives, and implications for prevention are discussed.

Language: en