"Parricide: A Descriptive Analysis" by Kathy A. Smith

This study attempts to add to the current literature on parricide by

developing an empirical description of parricides and the families in which

they occur. Data for this study were drawn from the court records of 54

families in which parricide had occurred, primarily in the state of

Tennessee. A research guide containing 55 questions developed by the author

was distributed to court officials who where asked to provide data and to

forward copies of the research guide to any colleagues who were willing to

do the same.

The research quide asked for demographic information of parricide

perpetrators and their families. The questionanaire measured family

structure and abusive behavior within the family, the characteristics of the

parricide, and the outcome of the trials.

Results of the study show that (1) parricides occur both in biologically

intact families and blended families, (2) families which are physically

isolated from neighborhoods appear to be at greater risk for parricide, (3)

violence and abuse are pervasive in private families, (4) public officials

seem to accept and ignore abusive behavior families in which parricide

occurs, and (5) parricide perpetrators typically receive either jail time or

are sent to juvenile facilities, in spite of a history of being abused.

Implications of these findings for the juvenile justice system and others

interested in the welfare of youth and their families are discussed.