title: Circumstances Preceding Homicide-Suicides Involving Child Victims: A Qualitative Analysis.
abstract: Homicide-suicide incidents involving child victims can have a detrimental impact on survivors of the violence, family members and friends of the decedents, and other community members, but the rare occurrence of these acts makes using quantitative data to examine their associated antecedents challenging. Therefore, using qualitative data from the 2003-2011 National Violent Death Reporting System, we examined 175 cases of homicide-suicide involving child victims in an effort to better understand the complex situational factors of these events. Our findings indicate that 98% of homicide-suicides with child victims are perpetrated by adults (mostly parents) and propelled by the perpetrators' intimate partner problems, mental health problems, and criminal/legal problems. These events are often premeditated, and plans for the violence are sometimes disclosed prior to its occurrence. Findings provide support for several theoretical perspectives, and implications for prevention are discussed.
authors.affiliation: 1 National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA.
authors.forename: Kristin M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Holland
authors.affiliation: 2 University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA.
authors.forename: Sabrina V
authors.initials: SV
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.affiliation: 1 National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA.
authors.forename: Jeffrey E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Hall
authors.affiliation: 1 National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA.
authors.forename: Joseph E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Logan
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002423:Cause of Death; D002648:Child; D002649:Child Abuse / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D057237:Criminals / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D030881:Disclosure; D005260:Female; D006708:Homicide / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D011159:Population Surveillance; D013405:Suicide / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D017741:Survivors / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014754:Violence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
keywords: filicide; homicide-suicide; murder-suicide