Teenagers Who Kill Their Parents: Cases of Parricide

In the United States legal system, parricide is defined as the killing of a close relative, usually a parent. The crime encompasses matricide, the killing of one’s mother, and patricide, the killing of one’s father. It may also be part of a familicide, the killing of one’s entire family.

Parricide is extremely rare, representing just 1 percent of all homicides in the United States in which the victim-offender relationship is known.

The majority of parricides are committed by adults, with just 25 percent of patricides and 17 percent of matricides committed by persons 18 years and under, according to a 25-year study of parricides in the United States.

However rare, adolescent parricide has become a distinct area of study by criminologists and psychologists due to the unpredictability and complexity of these crimes. Those who study these unique crimes tend to look closely at issues like domestic violence, substance abuse, and adolescent mental health.

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