ABSTRACT
The killing of multiple children is considered as multiple filicide; likewise, the killing of more than one parent is not considered familicide, but as multiple or double parricide, and the killing of multiple siblings as siblicide. Multiple family homicides, however, are believed to originate and evolve from largely independent etiologies. One of the most famous historical familicide examples includes M. Foucault’s description of Pierre Riviere. In modern-day society, the prevalence of familicide involving spouse and children is very low. Familicide perpetrators were also generally better educated than child homicide perpetrators. Among familicides that include spouse and child victims, men are the primary perpetrators. The analysis of United States cases revealed clear differences between the spousal revenge group and the group of despondent husbands. Familicides in the category mostly consist of men who kill multiple family members with a firearm in a variety of constellations.
