Characteristics of infant homicides: Findings from a US multisite reporting system
| dc.contributor.author | Fujiwara, T., Barber, C., Schaechter, J., & Hemenway, D. | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2014-11-19T18:42:39Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2014-11-19T18:42:39Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2009 | |
| dc.description.abstract | The purpose of this study was to describe homicides of infants (children <2 years of age) in the U.S. Cases were derived from the National Violent Injury Statistics System; 71 incidents involving 72 infant homicides were in the data set. Type 1 involved beating/shaking injuries inflicted by a caretaker; type 2 involved all other homicides (including neonaticide, intimate partner problem-related homicide, crime-related death, and other types). Seventy-five percent of the incidents were type 1 incidents, perpetrated mainly by men (83%; typically the infant's father or the boyfriend of the infant's mother). In 85% of the type 1 incidents, the infant was transported to the hospital, usually at the initiative of the perpetrator or another household member. In almost one half of the type 1 incidents, a false story was offered initially to explain the injuries. In contrast, the type 2 incidents (16 cases) were perpetrated mainly by women (11 of 16 cases) and involved methods such as poisoning, drowning, sharp instruments, or withdrawal of food and water; most infants were not taken to the hospital. Although 93% of incidents were perpetrated by caretakers, the large differences between the 2 incident types suggest different avenues for prevention. The circumstances involved in the type 1 homicides (beatings by caretakers) suggested that those attacks occurred impulsively, death was unintended, and emergency care was summoned, often with a false story. Previous abuse was suspected in more than one half of those incidents. | en_US |
| dc.identifier.citation | Fujiwara, T., Barber, C., Schaechter, J., & Hemenway, D. (2009). Characteristics of infant homicides: Findings from a US multisite reporting system. Pediatrics, 124(2), e210-e217. | en_US |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://www.pediatricsdigest.mobi/content/124/2/e210.full | |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/11212/1837 | |
| dc.language.iso | en_US | en_US |
| dc.publisher | Pediatrics | en_US |
| dc.subject | infant fatality | en_US |
| dc.subject | child abuse | en_US |
| dc.subject | infant homicide | en_US |
| dc.subject | statistics | en_US |
| dc.title | Characteristics of infant homicides: Findings from a US multisite reporting system | en_US |
| dc.type | Article | en_US |