Parents Who Get Killed and the Children Who Kill Them

Empirical analysis of homicides in which children have killed parents has been limited, largely due to the lack of publicly available data. Findings from an analysis of 10 years of FBI Supplementary Homicide Report (SHR) data are reported in this article. Analysis revealed that the typical parent or stepparent slain during the period 1977-1986 was White and non-Hispanic. the typical offender who killed a parent or stepparent was a White, non-Hispanic male. Mothers and stepmothers who were slain were significantly more likely to be White than fathers and stepfathers. Parents and stepparents slain were overwhelmingly killed by sons and rarely slain by Hispanic offenders. A strong relationship existed between the age of the offender and mother versus father victimization; patricide offenders were significantly younger than matricide offenders. Homicides involving parents and stepparents were overwhelmingly committed by adult offenders. Evidence that youth involvement in the killings of parents and stepparents increased over the 10-year period was lacking. Police classified more than 98% of homicides of parents and stepparents as murders. These findings are discussed and compared when possible to findings in the general area of homicide.