title: An archival exploration of 19th-century American adult female offender parricides.
abstract: Social and behavioral scientists have increasingly attended to the contexts and motivational dynamics underlying parricidal events. These efforts notwithstanding, most research has focused on adolescent or adult male offender populations. One largely neglected area of study is that of adult female offender parricide. The present study utilizes archival records to examine the contexts and sources of conflict that gave rise to adult female offender parricides in the late 19th century. Three general themes emerged, representing the primary contexts behind adult female offender parricide: (1) abuse and neglect; (2) instrumental, financially-motivated killings; and (3) expressive killings, often during the course of arguments. Each of these contexts is explored.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Social Science and Humanities, University of Ontario Institute of Technology, Oshawa, Ontario, Canada. phillip.shon@uoit.ca
authors.forename: Phillip Chong Ho
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Shon
authors.affiliation: Bradley University.
authors.forename: Christopher R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Williams
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D019548:Crime Victims / Q000266:history*; D003417:Criminal Psychology / Q000266:history; D057237:Criminals / Q000266:history*; D005260:Female; D049672:History, 19th Century; D006708:Homicide / Q000266:history*; D006801:Humans; D016901:Intergenerational Relations; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D012938:Social Perception; D014481:United States; D014930:Women; D055815:Young Adult