Thesis (M. Phil.)--University of Hong Kong, 2006. / Title proper from title frame. Also available in printed format.

Mémoire numérisé par la Direction des bibliothèques de l'Université de Montréal.

Thesis (M.A.)--University of Texas at El Paso, 2008. / Title from title screen. Vita. CD-ROM. Includes bibliographical references. Also available online.

Thesis (MA (Psychology))--Stellenbosch University, 2008. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Maternal filicide, the murder of a child by its mother, is a complex phenomenon with various causes and characteristics. Research, by means of the development of several classification systems and in identifying particular risk factors, has been conducted with the aim of better prevention of this emotionally evocative crime. Various disciplines have offered a wide range of perspectives on why women kill their biological children. These are intended to yield a better understanding of the aetiology of this crime. This literature review delineates three dominant perspectives: psychiatric, psychological, and sociological. The main findings of each perspective are discussed. However, these three perspectives frequently operate in conjunction with each other in that both intrapsychic and interpersonal dynamics play a role in acts of maternal filicide. The most vulnerable women appear to be those who have had a severely deficient developmental history (trauma and/or grossly inadequate parenting), those who experience current difficult psychosocial circumstances, and those who have been diagnosed with a psychiatric illness. However, not all women who experience such problems kill their children. In this regard, individual differences have an important role to play and more carefully delineated future research is suggested. One of the most significant findings of this literature review is that there appears to be a paucity of systematic research on the South African phenomenon of parental child homicide. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Moedermoord, die moord van ’n kind deur sy of haar moeder, is ’n komplekse verskynsel met verskeie oorsake en karaktereienskappe. Navorsing deur die ontwikkeling van verskeie klassifikasiestelsels en die identifisering van spesifieke risikofaktore is uitgevoer met die doel om hierdie misdaad, wat soveel emosies ontlok, beter te voorkom. Verskeie dissiplines bied ’n wye verskeidenheid perspektiewe oor die redes waarom vroue hul biologiese kinders vermoor. Die doel van hierdie perspektiewe is om ’n beter etiologiese begrip van hierdie vorm van misdaad te verkry. Die literatuurstudie dui drie dominante perspektiewe aan: psigiatries, psigologies en sosiologies. Die hoofbevindinge van elke perspektief word bespreek. Hierdie drie perspektiewe werk dikwels saam aangesien sowel intrapsigiese en interpersoonlike dinamiek ’n rol in moedermoorddade speel. Die kwesbaarste vroue blyk dié te wees met ’n ernstig gebrekkige ontwikkelingsgeskiedenis (trauma en/of ernstig onvoldoende ouerskap), diegene wat hulle in moeilike psigososiale omstandighede bevind, en dié wat met ’n psigiatriese siekte gediagnoseer is. Nie alle vroue wat hierdie probleme ervaar, vermoor egter hulle kinders nie. In hierdie opsig speel individuele verskille ’n belangrike rol en word versigtig afgebakende toekomstige navorsing voorgestel. Een van die belangrikste bevindinge van hierdie literatuuroorsig is dat daar ’n gebrek aan sistematiese navorsing oor die Suid-Afrikaanse verskynsel van kindermoord deur ouers blyk te wees.

Une revue de la littérature nous permet de mettre en évidence des facteurs sociaux, économiques, culturels, psychiatriques, épidémiologiques, psychodynamiques et intergénérationnels associés au passage à l'acte infanticide. Cependant, ces facteurs sont considérés indépendamment les uns des autres et sont répandus dans la population, sans mener à l'infanticide : ils ne peuvent donc pas être appréhendés comme étant des facteurs de risque de passage à l'acte. Cette recherche vise donc à proposer un modèle de causalité pluridimensionnel de ces meurtres d'enfants. Nous avons dans un premier temps développé une méthodologie qualitative puis une approche comparative, dans un second temps, est apparue indispensable. Nous avons comparé les facteurs et processus en jeu dans le passage à l'acte meurtrier avec un autre sous groupe psychopathologique, des femmes incarcérées pour violences sexuelles sur leur(s) enfant(s), et avec un groupe témoin. Cette approche comparative s'inscrit dans une démarche inductive, à partir des éléments mis en évidence au sein de la population d'étude. Les analyses cliniques ont mis en évidence un certain nombre de facteurs en jeu dans lepassage à l'acte filicide mais ne peuvent pas constituer des facteurs de risques ou de protection d'un passage à l'acte meurtrier à eux seuls. Les approches omparatives ont permis de dessiner un modèle de causalité pluridimensionnel en jeu dans les passages à l'acte filicide : des tableaux cliniques de population à risque VS protégée de passage à l'acte filicide sont proposés en conclusion. / Thanks to a literary review we can highlight social, economic, cultural, psychiatric,epidemiological, psychodynamic and intergenerational factors connected to the committing childmurder. However these factors are considered separately and are widespread in the population without leading to infanticide and that's why they can't be considered as risk factors inducing its perpretation. This survey aims at proposing a multidimensional pattern of causality of these child murders.First, we developed a qualitative methodology but, subsequently a comparative approach seemed absolutely necessary. We compared the factors and the process at stake considering the perpretation of child murder with another psychopathological subgroup composed of women emprisoned for sexual assaults on their children and with a reference group.This comparative approach lies within the scope of inductive processes, starting from the elements spotted among the test population. The clinical analyses revealed some of the factors at stake in the carrying out of child murder but they can't be considered as risk factors or factors leading to murder for themselves. The comparative studies let us sketch a multidimensional causality pattern involved in child murdering: clinical charts comparing populations at risk and protected populations can be consulted at the end of this survey.

Madness in women exists as a trope within the literature from the earliest of civilizations. This theme is evident and appears to possess a link with male dysfunction in several of Toni Morrison’s texts. Lack of maternal accountability has long served as a symptom of female mental instability as imposed by patriarchal thought. Mothers who have neglected or harmed their young across cultures and time periods have been forcibly branded with the mark of madness. Female characters in five of Morrison’s novels bear a striking resemblance to the female archetypes of ancient Greece. This paper will demonstrate the kindred strands of prescribed female madness in the women of the myths of ancient Greece and Morrison’s characters as it relates to neglectful mothering and male flight.

The current study examines county-level characteristics and their impact on child homicide. This work uses Durkheimian theory and tests the concept of solidarity by using variables that constitute integration and regulation. In addition, some variables are drawn from other theoretical perspectives, mainly social disorganization and anomie theories, to better explore additional macro-level indicators. Data were obtained from multiple locations. Homicide data for children, from birth through five years, utilized in this work came from the National Incident-Based Reporting System. County level socio-demographics were obtained from the Census. Political party affiliation (Republican or Democrat) came from Politico, and religious data were collected by InfoGroup and organized into groups by the Association of Religion Data Archives. This study aims to increase our understanding of how macro-level contextual and situational factors may help guide policy makers, law enforcement personnel, and any other individuals who are concerned with areas where there are varying degrees of risk for child homicide

Mémoire numérisé par la Direction des bibliothèques de l'Université de Montréal.

published_or_final_version / abstract / Sociology / Master / Master of Philosophy

This dissertation focuses on using one tangible component of filicide, the method or weapon used by a parent to kill a child, as a means by which to understand parental psychology. An evolutionary psychological perspective (e.g., Buss, 2004; Bjorklund & Pellegrini, 2002; Daly & Wilson, 1988; Tooby & Cosmides, 1992) can provide insight into our understanding of filicide. Questions that have not been asked by previous researchers may come to the fore by using an evolutionary perspective as a guide for investigating filicide and its surrounding circumstances and contexts. I present the results of three empirical studies using archival data on filicides recorded in Chicago, Illinois. In Study 1, I present the results of an investigation of parental psychological differences evidenced by the methods of filicide, for filicides recorded between 1965 and 1994. The key results of Study 1 are: (a) while overall (i.e., non-genetic and genetic parents combined), beating was the method of filicide used most often, the percentage of filicides committed by non-genetic parents by beating significantly exceeded the percentage of filicides committed by genetic parents; (b) in contrast, the percentage of filicides committed by non-genetic parents by asphyxiation was significantly less than the percentage of filicides committed by genetic parents. In Studies 2A and 2B, I present the results of an investigation using the 1965-1994 dataset as well as a dataset of filicides-suicides recorded between 1870 and 1930. The key results of these two studies indicate that filicide-suicide may be more likely to occur in certain contexts (e.g., multiple-victim killings) and in certain circumstances (e.g., following paternal filicide). In the final chapter, I discuss the key findings, identify limitations of the current research, and present several future directions for research. / by Viviana A. Weekes. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2011. / Includes bibliography. / Electronic reproduction. Boca Raton, Fla., 2011. Mode of access: World Wide Web.