Parricide

            Paul Mones reports of a 16-year-old girl who fatally shot her father. He had allegedly abused her. The article continues with talking about the killing of abusive parents by their children.

            These children, mostly male, tend to be older teens from middle-class white families. Males tend to be more aggressive due to what has been done to them, but at the same time completely sane.

            They view what they are about to do as a last act of self-preservation. They are isolated and feel helpless. They think nothing else can be done. They think clearly and they often want to protect their siblings.

            These tragic instances illustrates conflict that comes with power (Croteau & Hoynes, 2012, p. 112-115). Parents have power over their son or daughter for most of the child’s life. But there comes a time when that stops, and the reverse is true. If the parents have used their power in an extremely abusive way, the grown child often will react negatively.

            When a parent uses physical force to coerce the child into being the person he or she wants the child to be, resentment starts to build. Sometimes the resentment leads to hatred, which leads to revenge. The child’s childhood was hell on earth, he or she doesn’t want adulthood to be the same way. So, as a last resort, they eliminate the person causing them pain.

Croteau, D, & Hoynes, W. (2012). Experience Sociology. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.