Parricidal Juveniles and Young Adults: Why do They Kill? An In-Depth Look at Literature and Case Study

Abstract

This paper explores the leading factors that could cause a juvenile or young adult to murder one or both of their biological, step, or adoptive parents. Through analysis of current research and case study, this paper aims to explore juvenile and early adulthood parricide through the scope of mental illness and the presence of abuse or neglect in the perpetrator’s home. Contradicting research shows disagreement in the leading cause of parricide and the ability to predict, and therefore prevent, these types of murders. This paper focuses largely on prevention through intervention of law enforcement and the criminal justice realm as a whole to aid those with mental illness and separate young victims from their abusers. Additionally, this paper explores general information regarding parricide cases, including important statistics such as race, gender, age, and weapon used during the killings. Finally, this paper explores multiple case studies from many different time periods to emphasize the commonalities between parricide cases and how those similarities can be used to prevent future crimes.