Abstract

This presentation focuses on the problem of ‘filial violence’, referring to violence and abuse from children, adolescents, and adult-aged children towards their parents. In its most extreme form, filial violence includes the killing of parents, known as ‘parricide’. Our talk will cover what we know (and don’t know) about the various forms of filial violence, and why it is important to examine the continuum of violence and abuse from ‘children’ towards parents across the lifecourse. We will also critically consider existing responses to filial violence, and in doing so, address the enduring silence surrounding this issue, despite a steadily increasing body of academic evidence and attempts (by academics and practitioners) to engage policy-makers. Our work on parricide and matricide in particular illustrates the serious implications of structural failures to recognise and assess the risks posed to mothers living with and/or caring for (mentally ill) adult-age abusive sons.

Rachel Condry is Professor of Criminology in the Centre for Criminology and Fellow of St Hilda’s College. Her work focuses broadly on the intersections between crime and the family, which has included research projects on the families of serious offenders, prisoners’ families, parenting in youth justice. Rachel currently directs the Filial Violence Project and the Global Prisoners Families Group. Rachel is editor of the book series Routledge Studies in Crime, Justice and the Family and is co-editor of the Howard Journal of Crime and Justice and editorial board member of The Journal of Criminology.

Dr Caroline Miles is a Senior Lecturer in Criminology at the University of Manchester. Caroline’s research incorporates various forms of gender-based violence, including filial violence, ‘honour’-based abuse, and the abuse of women in public; as well as homicide, femicide, and parricide. Her recent projects include a British Academy funded project examining non-intimate femicide, an N8 Police Research Partnership funded project on the abuse of women runners, and continuing research on parricide. Caroline is co-editor of Routledge book series Violence, Inequality and Change, and is on the editorial board for the British Journal of Criminology.

Please note seminars and events are recorded.