Advanced Search

Journal Navigation

Journal Home

Subscriptions

Archive

Contact Us

Table of Contents

Access Criminology and Criminal Justice journals now

CiteULike is a free service for managing and discovering scholarly references - click here to get started.

Sign In to gain access to subscriptions and/or personal tools.
International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology
This Article
Right arrow Abstract Freely available
Right arrow Free Full Text (Free PDF) Free
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Right arrow Citation Map
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in Web of Science
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to Saved Citations
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Right arrow Request Reprints
Right arrow Add to My Marked Citations
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Right arrow Citing Articles via Scopus
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Heide, K. M.
Right arrow Articles by Boots, D. P.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Heide, K. M.
Right arrow Articles by Boots, D. P.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Complore   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us   Add to Digg   Add to Reddit   Add to Technorati   Add to Twitter  
What's this?

A Comparative Analysis of Media Reports of U.S. Parricide Cases With Officially Reported National Crime Data and the Psychiatric and Psychological Literature

Kathleen M. Heide

University of South Florida, Tampa, kheide{at}cas.usf.edu

Denise Paquette Boots

University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson

This article is a content analysis of 150 unique cases of children killing parents in the United States as reported in the electronic news media. The accuracy of online coverage of U.S. parricide incidents is assessed using two types of resources: officially reported national statistics on known parricidal incidents and the psychological and psychiatric literature on matricide and patricide. Comparisons of news accounts of media-reported U.S. parricide cases with Supplementary Homicide Report data indicate that electronic media coverage of parricide cases focused on the more sensational and unusual parricides. Analyses of these media accounts by offender age found 13 significant differences between juvenile and adult offenders. Ten of these 13 differences related to motive and Heide's parricide offender types (severely abused, severely mentally ill, and dangerously antisocial) and were consistent with the mental health—related literature in this area. The limitations and directions for future research are discussed at length.

Key Words: content analysis • juvenile homicide o fenders • matricide • media reports • news coverage • parricide • patricide

References

  • Akuffo, E., McGuire, B.E., & Choon, G.L. (1991). Rehabilitation following matricide in a patient with psychosis, temporal lobe epilepsy and mental handicap. British Journal of Hospital Medicine, 45(2), 108-109.[Web of Science][Medline] [Order article via Infotrieve]
  • Bailey, F.Y., & Hale, D. (1998). Blood on her hands: The social construction of women, sexuality, and murder. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/Thomson.
  • Baxter, H., Duggan, C., Larkin, E., Cordess, C., & Page, K. (2001). Mentally disordered parricide and stranger killers admitted to high-security care. 1: A descriptive comparison. Journal of Forensic Psychiatry, 12(2), 287-299.[Web of Science]
  • Benedek, E.P., & Cornell, D.G. (1989). Clinical presentations of homicidal adolescents. In E. P. Benedek & D. G. Cornell (Eds.), Juvenile homicide (pp. 37-57). Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Press.
  • Block, R. (1977). Violent crime: Environment, interaction, and death. Lexington, MA: D. C. Heath.
  • Boots, D.P., & Heide, K.M. (2006). Parricides in the media: A content analysis of available reports across cultures. International Journal of O fender Therapy and Comparative Criminology, 50(4), 418-445.
  • Bouchard, J.B., & Bachelier, A.S. (2004). Schizophrenia and double parricide: About a clinical observation. Annales Medico Psychologiques, 162, 626-633.[Web of Science]
  • Campion, J., Cravens, J.M., Rotholc, A., Weinstein, H.C., Covan, F., & Alpert, M. (1985). A study of 15 matricidal men. American Journal of Psychiatry, 142(3), 312-317.[Abstract/Free Full Text]
  • Chiswick, D. (1981). Matricide. British Medical Journal, 283(14), 1279.[Free Full Text]
  • Corder, B.F., Ball, B.C., Haizlip, T.M., Rollins, R., & Beaumont, R. (1976). Adolescent parricide: A comparison with other adolescent murder. American Journal of Psychiatry, 133(8), 957-961.[Abstract/Free Full Text]
  • Cravens, J.M., Campion, J., Rotholc, A., Covan, F., & Cravens, R.A. (1985). A study of 10 men charged with patricide. American Journal of Psychiatry, 142(9), 1089-1091.[Abstract/Free Full Text]
  • Ditton, J., Chadee, D., Farrall, S., Gilchrist, E., & Bannister, J. (2004). From imitation to intimidation: A note on the curious and changing relationship between the media, crime and fear of crime. British Journal of Criminology, 44(4), 595-610.[Abstract]
  • Dreier, P. (2005). How the media compound urban problems. Journal of Urban A fairs, 27(2), 193-201.
  • Duncan, J.W., & Duncan, G.M. (1971). Murder in the family. American Journal of Psychiatry, 127(11), 74-78.[Web of Science]
  • Evans, T.M., McGovern-Kondik, M., & Peric, F. (2005). Juvenile parricide: A predictable offense? Journal of Forensic Psychology Practice, 5(2), 31-50.[CrossRef][Web of Science]
  • Ewing, C.P. (1997). Fatal families: The dynamics of intrafamilial homicide. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
  • Foucault, M. (Ed.). (1975). I, Pierre Riviere, having slaughtered my mother, my sister, and my brother... A case of parricide in the nineteenth century. New York: Pantheon.
  • Fox, J.A. (2001). Uniform crime reports [United States]: Supplementary homicide reports, 1976-1999 [Computer file, unweighted data] ICPSR version. Boston: Northeastern University, College of Criminal Justice [producer]. Ann Arbor, MI: Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributor]. Available at http://webapp.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/NACJD-DAS/03180.xml
  • Gilliam, F.D., Valentino, N.A., & Beckmann, M.N. (2002). Where you live and what you watch: The impact of racial proximity and local television news on attitudes about race and crime. Political Research Quarterly, 55(4), 755-780.[Abstract/Free Full Text]
  • Gillies, H. (1965). Murder in the West of Scotland. British Journal of Psychiatry, 111, 1087-1094.[Abstract/Free Full Text]
  • Green, C. (1981). Matricide by sons. Medicine, Science and Law, 21, 207-214.
  • Haegerich, T.M., & Bottoms, B.L. (2000). Empathy and jurors' decisions in patricide trials involving child sexual abuse allegations. Law and Human Behavior, 24, 421-448.[CrossRef][Web of Science][Medline] [Order article via Infotrieve]
  • Hagan, F.E. (2003). Research methods in criminal justice and criminology. Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
  • Heath, L., & Gilbert, K. (1996). Mass media and fear of crime. American Behavioural Scientist, 39, 379-386.[Abstract]
  • Heide, K.M. (1992). Why kids kill parents: Child abuse and adolescent homicide. Columbus: Ohio State University Press.
  • Heide, K.M. (1993a). Parents who get killed and the children who kill them. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 8(4), 531-544.[Abstract/Free Full Text]
  • Heide, K.M. (1993b). Weapons used by juveniles and adults to kill parents. Behavioral Sciences and the Law, 11, 397-405.[Web of Science]
  • Heide, K.M. (2003). Youth homicide: A review of the literature and a blueprint for action. International Journal of O fender Therapy and Comparative Criminology, 47(1), 6-36.
  • Heide, K.M., Boots, D., Alldredge, C., Donerly, B., & White, J.R. (2005). Battered child syndrome: An overview of case law and legislation. Criminal Law Bulletin, 41(3), 219-239.
  • Heide, K.M., & Petee, T. (2003, June). Parents who get killed and the children who kill them: An examination of 24 years of data. In C. R. Block & R. L. Block (Eds.), Proceedings of the 2003 Homicide Research Working Group Annual Symposium (319-335). Chicago: Homicide Research Working Group.
  • Heide, K.M., & Petee, T.A. (in press-a). Parricide: An empirical analysis of 24 years of U.S. data. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 23(1).
  • Heide, K.M., & Petee, T.A. (in press-b). Weapons used by juveniles and adult offenders in U.S. parricide cases. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 23(1).
  • Hillbrand, M., Alexandre, J.W., Young, J.L., & Spitz, R.T. (1999). Parricide: Characteristics of offenders and victims, legal factors, and treatment issues, Aggression and Violent Behavior, 4(2), 179-190.[CrossRef][Web of Science]
  • It made terrible sense. (1982, December 13). Time, 34.
  • Jenkins, P. (1994). Using murder: The social construction of serial murder. Hawthorne, NY: Aldine de Gruyter.
  • Kirschner, D. (1992). Understanding adoptees who kill: Dissociation, patricide, and the psychodynamics of adoption. International Journal of O fender Therapy and Comparative Criminology, 36(4), 323-334.
  • Klite, P., Bardwell, R.A., & Salzman, J. (1997). Local TV news: Getting away with murder. Harvard International Journal of Press/Politics, 2, 102-112.
  • Krippendorff, K. (1980). Content analysis: An introduction to its methodology. Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
  • Lang, D. (1995). The dark son. New York: Avon Books.
  • Lennings, C.J. (2002). Children who kill family members: Three case studies from Australia. Journal of Threat Assessment, 20(2), 57-72.
  • Lipson, C.T. (1986). A case report on matricide. American Journal of Psychiatry, 143(1), 112-113.[Web of Science][Medline] [Order article via Infotrieve]
  • Maas, R.L., Prakash, R., Hollender, M.H., & Regan, W.M. (1984, Winter). Double parricide—Matricide and patricide: A comparison with other schizophrenic murders. Psychiatric Quarterly 56(4), 286-290.[CrossRef][Medline] [Order article via Infotrieve]
  • Mack, J.E., Scherl, D.J., & Macht, L.B. (1973). Children who kill their mothers. In E. J. Anthony & C. Koupernik (Eds.), The child in his family (pp. 319-332). New York: John Wiley.
  • Maguire, B., Sandage, D., & Weatherby, G.A. (1999). Crime stories as television news: A content analysis of national, big city, and small town newscasts. Journal of Criminal Justice and Popular Culture, 7, 1-14.
  • Marleau, J.D., Millaud, F., & Auclair, N. (2003). A comparison of parricide and attempted parricide: A study of 39 psychotic adults. International Journal of Law and Psychiatry, 26(3), 269-279.[CrossRef][Web of Science][Medline] [Order article via Infotrieve]
  • McCully, R.S. (1978). The laugh of Satan: A study of a familial murderer. Journal of Personality Assessment, 42(1), 81-91.[CrossRef][Web of Science][Medline] [Order article via Infotrieve]
  • McKnight, C.K., Mohr, J.W., Quinsey, R.E., & Erochko, J. (1965). Matricide and mental illness. Canadian Psychiatric Association Journal, 11(2), 99-106.[Web of Science]
  • Medlicott, R.W. (1955). Paranoia of the exalted type in a setting of folie à deux. A study of two adolescent homicides. British Journal of Medical Psychology, 28, 205-223.[Medline] [Order article via Infotrieve]
  • Millaud, F., Auclair, N., & Meunier, D. (1996). Parricide and mental illness: A study of 12 cases. International Journal of Law and Psychiatry, 19(2), 173-182.[CrossRef][Web of Science][Medline] [Order article via Infotrieve]
  • Mouridsen, S.E., & Tolstrup, K. (1988). Children who kill: A case study of matricide. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 29, 511-515.[Web of Science][Medline] [Order article via Infotrieve]
  • Newhill, C.E. (1991). Parricide. Journal of Family Violence, 6(4), 375-394.[CrossRef][Web of Science]
  • O'Connell, B. (1963). Matricide. Lancet, 1, 1083-1084.
  • Pedhazur, E.J., & Schmelkin, L.P. (1991). Measurement, design, and analysis: An integrated approach. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
  • Post, S. (1982). Adolescent parricide in abusive families. Child Welfare, 61(7), 445-455.[Web of Science][Medline] [Order article via Infotrieve]
  • Raizen, K.H. (1960). A case of matricide and patricide. British Journal of Delinquency, 10(4), 277-294.[Web of Science]
  • Robson, C. (2002). Real world research: A resource for social scientists and practitioner-researchers (2nd ed.). Malden, MA: Blackwell.
  • Roper v. Simmons, 543 U.S. 551 (2005).
  • Russell, D.H. (1984). A study of juvenile murderers of family members. International Journal of O fender Therapy and Comparative Criminology, 28(3), 177-192.
  • Sadoff, R.L. (1971). Clinical observations on parricide. Psychiatric Quarterly, 45(1), 65-69.[CrossRef][Web of Science][Medline] [Order article via Infotrieve]
  • Sargent, D. (1962). Children who kill: A family conspiracy? Social Work, 7, 35-42.[Medline] [Order article via Infotrieve]
  • Scherl, D.J., & Mack, J.E. (1966). A study of adolescent matricide. Journal of the American Academy of Child Psychiatry, 5(2), 569-593.[Web of Science][Medline] [Order article via Infotrieve]
  • Schlesinger, L.B. (1999). Adolescent sexual matricide following repetitive mother-son incest. Journal of Forensic Sciences, 44(4), 746-749.[Web of Science][Medline] [Order article via Infotrieve]
  • Sheley, J.F., & Ashkins, C.D. (1981). Crime, crime news, and crime views. Public Opinion Quarterly, 45(4), 492-506.[Abstract/Free Full Text]
  • Stalans, L.J., & Henry, G.T. (1994). Societal views of justice for adolescents accused of murder: Inconsistency between community sentiment and automatic legislative transfers. Law and Human Behavior, 18, 675-696.[CrossRef][Web of Science]
  • Surette, R. (1998). Media, crime, and criminal justice: Images and realities (2nd ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.
  • Tanay, E. (1973). Adolescents who kill parents—Reactive parricide. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 7, 263-277.[Web of Science][Medline] [Order article via Infotrieve]
  • Tanay, E. (1976). Reactive parricide. Journal of Forensic Sciences, 21(1), 76-82.[Medline] [Order article via Infotrieve]
  • Tucker, L.S., & Cornwall, T.P. (1977). Mother-son folie à deux: A case of attempted patricide. American Journal of Psychiatry, 134(10), 1146-1147.[Free Full Text]
  • Websdale, N., & Alvarez, A. (1998). Forensic journalism as patriarchal ideology: The newspaper construction of homicide-suicide. In F. Y. Bailey & D. C. Hale (Ed.), Popular culture, crime, & justice (pp. 123-141). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.
  • Weisman, A.M., Ehrenclou, M.G., & Sharma, K.K. (2002). Double parricide: Forensic analysis and psycholegal implications. Journal of Forensic Sciences, 47(2), 313-317.[Web of Science][Medline] [Order article via Infotrieve]
  • Weisman, A.M., & Sharma, K.K. (1997). Forensic analysis and psycholegal implications of parricide and attempted parricide. Journal of Forensic Sciences, 42(6), 1107-1113.[Web of Science][Medline] [Order article via Infotrieve]
  • Weitzer, R., & Kubrin, C.E. (2004). Breaking news: How local TV news and real-world conditions affect fear of crime. Justice Quarterly, 21(3), 497-520.[CrossRef][Web of Science]
  • Wertham, F. (1941). Dark legend: A study in murder. New York: Duell, Sloan, and Pearce.
  • Young, J.L., Hillbrand, M., Irizarry, R., Hoog, W., Alexandre, J.W., & Spitz, R.T. (1998). Precursors of parricides: untreated psychosis, parental risk-taking, and command hallucinations. Unpublished manuscript.

This version was published on December 1, 2007

International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology, Vol. 51, No. 6, 646-675 (2007)
DOI: 10.1177/0306624X07302053
Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Complore Complore   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us   Add to Digg Digg   Add to Reddit Reddit   Add to Technorati Technorati   Add to Twitter Twitter    What's this?



This Article
Right arrow Abstract Freely available
Right arrow Free Full Text (Free PDF) Free
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Right arrow Citation Map
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in Web of Science
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to Saved Citations
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Right arrow Request Reprints
Right arrow Add to My Marked Citations
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Right arrow Citing Articles via Scopus
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Heide, K. M.
Right arrow Articles by Boots, D. P.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Heide, K. M.
Right arrow Articles by Boots, D. P.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Complore   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us   Add to Digg   Add to Reddit   Add to Technorati   Add to Twitter  
What's this?