A compassionate yet shattering exploration of the dark world of parricide. Attorney Paul Mones comes to the defense of abused children who kill their parents in this gripping, soul-wrenching, and detailed look at who these children are and why they kill. "Disturbing . . . but highly recommended".--ALA Booklist.

Criminologist and psychotherapist Kathleen Heide focuses on families that breed violence and the relationship between patricide and child abuse. A discussion of maltreatment, who kills, youths at risk, and legal and psychological issues is followed by three detailed case studies and a discussion of intervention, society's contributions to both the.

An inside look into patterns and potential prevention plans for one of the most hotly sensationalized crimes A special kind of horror is reserved for mothers who kill their children. Cases such as those of Susan Smith, who drowned her two young sons by driving her car into a lake, and Melissa Drexler, who disposed of her newborn baby in a restroom at her prom, become media sensations. Unfortunately, in addition to these high-profile cases, hundreds of mothers kill their children in the United States each year. The question most often asked is, why? What would drive a mother to kill her own child? Those who work with such cases, whether in clinical psychology, social services, law enforcement or academia, often lack basic understandings about the types of circumstances and patterns which might lead to these tragic deaths, and the social constructions of motherhood which may affect women's actions. These mothers oftentimes defy the myths and media exploitation of them as evil, insane, or lacking moral principles, and they are not a homogenous group. In obvious ways, intervention strategies should differ for a teenager who denies her pregnancy and then kills her newborn and a mother who kills her two toddlers out of mental illness or to further a relationship. A typology is needed to help us to understand the different cases that commonly occur and the patterns they follow in order to make possible more effective prevention plans. Mothers Who Kill Their Children draws on extensive research to identify clear patterns among the cases of women who kill their children, shedding light on why some women commit these acts. The characteristics the authors establish will be helpful in creating more meaningful policies, more targeted intervention strategies, and more knowledgeable evaluations of these cases when they arise.

This edited collection addresses a substantial gap in the existing literature on filicide by presenting the latest research from empirical investigations around the world. Despite its low occurrence, little is known about the incidences, causes and circumstances of filicide nationally and globally, and this international volume address the challenges associated with explaining and understanding filicide. Additionally, the authors also outline the role of professionals in assessing risk, and the importance of support for, and advocacy of, families of victims in the aftermath of these tragic events. Exploring a truly diverse range of countries, from various English speaking countries, to Chile, and Japan, this book presents an authoritative look at research on filicide, and crucially, examines the programs currently being developed for both intervention and prevention. An important and well-researched collection, this book will be of particular interest for scholars of do mestic violence and filicide, as well as professionals such as social workers.

Jonathan Paul goes behind the sensationalist headlines of 'child killers' to investigate why these crimes happen. He examines child homicide in today's violent, confusing world and contextualises it against the cruel unforgiving retribution of yesterday. Children are increasingly experimenting with drugs and committing offences, but there are those who commit the worst possible crimes: to end another person's life before their own could properly have begun. The cases are shocking but sometimes the path towards them is even more so. This is a fascinating exploration of disturbing events aimed at discovering what happens when childhood is trodden underfoot, and when and why kids kill.

Why would two young boys abduct, torture and kill a toddler? What makes a teenage girl plot with her classmates to kill her own father? Society regards children as harmless - but for some the age of innocence is shortlived, messy and ultimately murderous.Mary Bell, Robert Thompson and Jon Venables are infamous for their crimes against other children, but many of the less familiar studies here are equally as shocking. Thirteen murderers - the youngest only ten - used fire, poison, bullets and strangulation on victims from infants to pensioners. In a comprehensive study of juvenile homicide, Carol Anne Davis offers new psychological insights and a hard-hitting look at the role of society in an area too shocking to ignore.

Brings to public knowledge information about the effects of psychological trauma and bereavement on children.

The bond between parent and child is the strongest natural connection imaginable. But in rare and shocking cases, that bond can be brutally broken. The Philpott family, 'baby P' and jasmine Beckford are just three cases that have made a nation's blood run cold. But what could possibly drive a parent to commit the cruellest crime of all - the killing of their own child.In Parents Who Kill, renowned crime expert Carol Anne Davis explores the motives behind an act which flies in the face of all reason and instinct. This timely study examines some of the most harrowing cases documented in recent legal history, ranging from tragic negligence to more culturally specific instances of religious honour killings for 'sexual deviancy'.Update to include analysis of the most recent case of Mick and Mairead Philpott, who killed six of their children after setting fire to their own home, Davis casts a forensically objective eye over powerful themes encompassing jealousy, insanity, greed and everything in between. But this is more than just a study in the macabre. David shows great compassion and insight to reveal the psychology behind disability, mercy killings and post-natal depression, whilst in a final conclusion she proposes solutions to these issues and potentially life-saving avenues of help.Parents Who Kill is the compendium for anyone seeking to answer the hardest queston: 'What could possibly turn a parent into a killer?.'Carol Anne Davis writes with dangerous authority about the deadly everyday...You've got to read her.' - IAN RANKIN

Innocent children turned ruthless murderers...Hate-filled and deeply disturbed...They kill with cold-blooded savagery... Nothing was too good for precious Katy-- sports cars, jewelry, designer clothes. Her father, a successful South Florida businessman, could not resist any of her whims. But when he tried to curb her fast-lane lifestyle, she had him shot through the head while he slept. Behind closed doors of her suburban Chicago home, Nancy Knuckles was a sadistic disciplinarian who, for years, terrorised her four children with religious fanaticism, beatings, and psychological torture, until they finally rebelled with a vengeance. After the oldest daughter strangled mom and stuffed her in a trunk, the kids partied hard, inviting their friends over for booze and rock 'n' roll. Susan Cabot was a beautiful B-movie queen and obsessive mother. Her son Tim-- born a dwarf-- was pumped full of experimental drugs extracted from cadavers to increase his height. When the ex-film star's badly beaten body was discovered in her Hollywood home, little Timmy claimed she had been killed by men using Ninja methods-- before confessing. Killer Kids is Clifford L. Linedecker's shocking true crime book of children who turn to murder.

Defies the myth that parents must sacrific themselves. Instead, shows them how to reclaim their power, balance, happiness...and lives. When kids turn to substance abuse, parents also become victims as they watch their children transform into irrational and antisocial individuals. This harrowing scenario finds parents buckling beneath the stress--often with catastrophoric consequences: Divorce, career upsets, breakdowns and worse. "Don't Let Your Kids Kill You" is a landmark work that dares focus on the plight of the confused, distressed parent and not the erring child. It sets aside any preconceived ideas that parents are to blame for what is essentially a full-blown global crisis. Drawing on interviews with parents who've survived the heartbreak of kids on drugs, combined with his own experience, Charles Rubin provides practical advice on how parents can help themselves and their families by first attending to their own needs. Liberation begins when you open this book.