Understanding Parricide is the most comprehensive book available about juvenile and adult sons and daughters who kill their parents. Dr. Heide moves far behind the statistical correlates of parricide by synthesizing the professional literature on parricide in general, matricide, patricide, double parricides, and familicides. As a clinician, she explains the reasons behind the killings. Understanding Parricide includes in-depth discussion of issues related to prosecuting and defending parricide offenders. The book is enriched with its focus on clinical assessment, case studies, and follow-up of parricide offenders, as well as treatment, risk assessment, and prevention.

Kathleen M. Heide, Ph.D., is Professor of Criminology at the University of South Florida, Tampa. Dr. Heide, a licensed mental health professional, is an internationally-recognized consultant on adolescent homicide and family violence and a court-appointed expert in matters relating to homicide, children, and families.

PART I CLINICAL AND LEGAL ISSUES 1. The Phenomenon of Parricide 2. Child Maltreatment and Parricide 3. Parricide: Basic Facts and Literature 4. Matricide: Basic Facts and Literature 5. Patricide: Basic Facts and Literature 6. Prosecuting and Punishing Parricide Offenders 7. Defending Parricide Offenders PART II CASE STUDIES 8. Assessment of Parricide Offenders 9. Patty Smith - "No Way Out but Murder" 10. Peter Jones - "Repeating the Past" 11. James Holt -- "The Making of a Murderer" 12. Daniel Culbreath - "Fantasy Becomes Reality" 13. Ben Simpson -- "An Over-Indulged Child" PART III SOCIETY'S RESPONSE 14. Treating Parricide Offenders 15. Follow-Up Studies of Parricide Offenders 16. Risk Assessment and Prevention Notes References About the Author Index