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What makes some children finally snap? "They don't pay as you go with regard to aggression," observes Detroit psychiatrist Emanuel Tanay. "You might think they're passive, but they're also explosive." Many parricides occur when the child is on the cusp of independence, about to break away from a parent's domination. Sometimes the killing is triggered by a desire to protect the other parent or siblings.
Often an escalation in the level of violence precedes the slaying. Mark Martone was 16 when he shot his father to death. "This was not a routine beating," he recalls. His father had slammed his head against a radiator, kicked him in the ribs and struck him on the skull with a hammer. As he sat in jail the night of the murder, Mark was still terrified. "Oh, God," he said to himself, "what am I doing here! Dad's going to kill me!" Mark was convicted of homicide as a juvenile but was sentenced to six months probation. Like others who have suffered the same ordeal, he remains torn by his immense relief, guilt, grief, even love. "It may sound sick, but I did love him," says Mark. "I still love him. I mean, he was my father."
Although a "battered-child-syndrome" defense is beginning to be recognized, mounting a legal case for these kids is difficult because the law does not, for the most part, recognize such killings as self-defense. Though some occur during an episode of brutal abuse, most happen when parents are in a vulnerable position: coming in the door, watching television, cooking dinner with their back turned, or sleeping. That may be the only time youngsters can overpower their abusers, but it makes the killing appear to be cold-blooded murder.
Advocates for abused youngsters contend that such seemingly premeditated acts can be self-defense. People who suffer abuse for a long time can become adept at sensing impending violence. "They are hypervigilant, sensitive to aggressive cues," explains Mones. "They know when someone is going to hurt them even though it may not be apparent to the outside observer." He calls for prosecutors to assign parricide cases to trained child-abuse investigators rather than to regular homicide detectives.
- Many mental-health experts now favor treatment rather than punishment for battered kids, who rarely are violent again. "These kids don't need to be locked up for our protection," observes Buffalo's Ewing. "Some may benefit in the sense that they've been able to atone and overcome some guilt. But beyond that, it's really Draconian."
The larger issue is how to prevent the abuse that leads to the killing. In addition to strengthening social-service agencies and enforcing laws that require reporting of suspected abuse, experts recommend school-based programs that teach parenting skills to would-be mothers and fathers. Schools could also educate children about the difference between acceptable and abusive punishment and tell them where to find help when parents get out of control. Many abused youngsters think that hitting and kicking are normal, and most cannot conceive of turning in their mothers and fathers. Besides saving desperate youngsters and their parents, educational programs could go a long way toward ensuring that the violence is not visited on the next generation. No one should forget that the majority of child batterers were once battered children themselves.