Factors of Parricide: Allowance of the Use of Battered Child Syndrome as a Defense
Department
Psychology
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
11-2003
Abstract
Children who kill a parent may be mentally ill or dangerously antisocial, but most often they are severely abused. However, most abused children do not resort to killing a parent. Children who do commit murder do so out of desperation when family members and friends have failed to help them. This article discusses issues surrounding allowance of the defense of battered child syndrome as a justification for parricide. An argument will be made for the expansion of the self-defense claim to include battered child syndrome.
Journal Title
Aggression and Violent Behavior
Journal ISSN
1359-1789
Volume
8
Issue
6
First Page
671
Last Page
683
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
10.1016/S1359-1789(02)00103-9
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