Filicide in Canada: Examining patterns over time and geography

• In Event: International Trends and Patterns in Filicide

Abstract

This paper provides a comprehensive historical and contemporary picture of filicide in Canada for more than half a century. Focusing on 1,691 children under age 18 that were killed by their parents between 1961-2012, regional and temporal trends will be examined for gender and age of the victim and accused, marital status of the accused, type of parental relationship (biological versus stepparent), cause of death, motive, history of family violence, and clearance status. Preliminary analysis demonstrates that there appears to be an increasing gender gap between female accused and male accused as well as increases in the proportion of accused separated/divorced/widowed, the number of cases involving stepfathers, and those with a prior history of family violence. In contrast, the proportion of accused who commit suicide following the filicide appears to be decreasing for both female and male accused. Implications for intervention and future research are discussed.

Authors

• Myrna Dawson, University of Guelph

• Tina Hotton, University of Guelph