Adoption and Murder

Jaffé, Philip D.

doi:10.1515/9783110801163.274

Cited by 2 publications

(5 citation statements)

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“…The literature described adoption as abandonment; therefore, the offenders must not have known their adoptive parents to feel completely abandoned (Kirschner, 1992; Kirschner & Nagel, 1996). The clinical studies reviewed further provided descriptions of abandonment causing the inner turmoil faced by the adoptees prior to their homicidal actions (Jaffé, 1997). Multiple‐victim homicides were included if the incidents contained at least one offender's adoptive parent as a victim.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Clinical studies specific to adoptive parricide have noted that unresolved feelings of rejection and abandonment, indicative of attachment issues, culminate in the homicides (Jaffé, 1997; Kirschner, 1992; Kirschner & Nagel, 1996). Kirschner (1992) noted that the adoptive parents of three adopted parricide offenders tended to either not speak of the biological parents or would only speak of them negatively.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…They further discovered adoptive parricide resulted from repressed rejection issues faced by the adoptees that resurfaced in adolescence or young adulthood. Likewise, Jaffé (1997) ascertained in a case study of one adopted parricide offender that the offender suffered from repressed abandonment issues that resulted in homicide when he felt his adoptive parents were rejecting him by placing him in a psychiatric hospital. Thus, evidence from clinical studies suggests that poor attachment may play a role in the commission of adoptive parricide.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The phenomenon of adoptive parricide remains poorly understood despite being estimated to occur 15 times more frequently than parricide by biological children (Mones, 1991). The literature thus far in the area has explored psychological causes and relied on clinical case studies with a maximum of seven participants (see Jaffé, 1997; Kirschner & Nagel, 1996; Lewis et al., 2001). For instance, Kirschner (1992) posited that “adopted child syndrome” was to blame when there was no evidence of frequent risk factors such as abuse or neglect in the adoptee's background.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Adopted children who kill their adoptive parents: An examination through the lens of attachment theory

Hubbell

Heide

Wagers

2021

Behavioral Sci & The Law

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Adoptive parricide, the killing of adoptive parents by their adoptive children, is a phenomenon that garners much media attention but remains elusive in the extant literature. Previous studies on adoptive parricide have largely consisted of clinical case studies with limited theoretical explanations. The current study uses Bowlby's attachment theory as a theoretical framework to explore adoptive parricide. A content analysis was conducted of news sources to obtain data on adoptive parricide cases. Hypotheses were generated per attachment theory in the context of Heide's (2013b) parricide offender typology. Early adoptees (n = 27) were compared to late adoptees (n = 29) using Fisher's exact tests. Early adoptees were more likely to kill multiple victims, kill for selfish motives, be overindulged by adoptive parents, and not have limits set and enforced by adoptive parents. Late adoptees were more likely to report having been abused by their adoptive parents. The results were not consistent with attachment theory. Implications for the adoption process and adoptive parenting practices are presented.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Adopted children who kill their adoptive parents: An examination through the lens of attachment theory

Hubbell

Heide

Wagers

2021

Behavioral Sci & The Law

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“…However, in a detailed case study of one adoptee who killed his adoptive father and attempted to kill his adoptive mother, Jaffé () identified adoption as a crucial element to the homicide. The subject was obsessed with perfection and believed himself to be imperfect.…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Adopted children who kill their adoptive parents

Hubbell

Heide

Khachatryan

2019

Behavioral Sci & The Law

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The killing of parents, frequently referred to as parricide, is a disturbing phenomenon that often generates widespread media coverage. Most of the scholarly literature on this topic has focused on biological offspring who kill mothers and fathers. Some analyses have examined juveniles and adults who kill their stepparents. To date, virtually no research exists on children who kill their adoptive parents because this type of victim–offender relationship has been absent from available homicide databases, thereby preventing such analyses. The present study is a content analysis of news reports of 46 cases of adopted children who killed their adoptive parents in several different countries. Data pertaining to offender and victim demographics, incident characteristics, and the processing of offenders from the initial charge through conviction and sentencing are examined. To the extent possible, media accounts are used to classify cases according to motives or circumstances leading to the killings. The article concludes with a comparison of profiles of children who kill adoptive parents in relation to those who kill biological parents, important observations that emerged from these news accounts, and discussion of possible explanations of parricide by adopted children, including adopted children syndrome, reactive attachment disorder, and biological risk factors. Limitations of this study and directions for future research are addressed.

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Adoption and Murder

Cited by 2 publications

References 0 publications

Adopted children who kill their adoptive parents: An examination through the lens of attachment theory

Adopted children who kill their adoptive parents: An examination through the lens of attachment theory

Adopted children who kill their adoptive parents

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