A Tragic Reality Hidden Within Families

Giving birth to a son, raising him with love, tirelessly working to provide him comfort, being his biggest cheerleader. what parents usually do. But later mercilessly murder by the apple of their eye. Such was the case with Suraj’s parents. Their son Suraj, roused by the ruckus, stabbed his father, and his mother warned him about who was sleeping in the same room, yet he stabbed her once, too, police said (Venkataraman). Unfortunately, this is not the only case of a child killing their parent(s). The role of a family counselor is helpful to prevent such crimes.

The Rising Concern of Parricide in India

Killing your mother or father is known as parricide. Peculiarly, killing your father is termed as patricide, though killing your mother is called as matricide. The number of Parricide cases in India accounts for 1-4% of all homicide cases. Such cases underscore the importance of a family counselor and family counseling. The number of patricides exceeds the number of matricides in society. Children and adults alike are part of this percentage. Although chances are rare, what drives someone to cause harm to their birth giver? Why does the person think it is okay to kill their blood? What thoughts go into a mind to wreak such havoc?

Why Would Someone Kill Their Own Parents?

The article seeks an answer to these very questions. While nothing in the sphere can justify this atrocious act of murder, it is essential to understand what leads to this and is solely an attempt at preventing it in future. The basis of parental love, relationships, and maternal instincts is feelings. These various feelings are the culprits, capable of building bridges while simultaneously destroying mountains. Hence, the root cause lies in the mind and brain, wherever psychology comes into play. A family counselor works with families to understand, emphasise, and uncover this.

Historical and Literary Perspectives on Parricide

History has seen several incidents of parricide. One well-known story is that of Oedipus, who unknowingly killed his father to marry his mother. Sigmund Freud’s theory is in alignment with this concept. It could account for patricidal tendencies in some individuals.

Real-Life Cases That Shocked Society

A 19-year-old stabbed his father in Goregaon (East) on Wednesday night, using a screwdriver, allegedly because he suspected his father of having extramarital affairs. (HT Correspondent) In the case of 2019, it points strongly to Oedipal tendencies. After Freud, Wertham discussed the Oedipus Complex, which holds that it arises from hatred of the mother. Orestes killed his mother to avenge his father, which could be because the attachment to the mother could result in rage. A timely referral to family counseling by a family counselor can help save a loved one’s life.

Reactive Parricide vs. Psychotic Parricide

Broadly, there are two kinds of parricide: Reactive Parricide and Psychotic Parricide. Reactive parricides show no underlying disorders and primarily involve an abusive or dysfunctional family. Psychotic Parricides are due to the presence of psychotic disorders and delusions caused by them. Various reasons could cause a person to murder their parent(s). The most common one is an abusive household. Parents sometimes unknowingly disrupt a person’s well-being through absenteeism, social and emotional issues, and constant domination and put-downs. The family counselor addresses these concerns during family counseling sessions.

The Jennifer Pan Case: Expectations Gone Wrong

The case of Jennifer Pan is well known. Burdened with expectations, Pan faced tiger parenting, and this is not the only case where parricide has occurred due to restrictions placed on the child. The role of family environment is quite important in these cases. Sometimes, the child feels burdened with the pressure to perform rigorously or abused by either parent, which leads to a hatred of the parent-victim. Adolescents account for mostly reactive parricides because they have a small social circle or are overly attached to either parent. Another cause could be a lack of control over aggression. Parricides also occur for selfish reasons, such as wanting freedom or parental wealth. Family counselor spotted a couple of times such intrusive thoughts mentioned by their clients during family therapy sessions.

Schizophrenia, Paranoia, and Substance-Induced Psychosis

Along with this, antisocial personality, Paranoia, and Schizophrenia are also leading causes of this. As far as psychotic parricides are concerned, people with psychotic disorders commit murders as a consequence of conflict between parents and child or over-dependency on parents, delusions, or wrong or no treatment of the illness. As opposed to this, substance-induced psychosis led to murders due to a perceived threat to masculinity in men. A family counselor refers such clients to a psychiatrist for medication.

The Role of Family Dynamics in Violent Behaviour

The main reasons for these murders are dependence on the victim-parent, illness and family dynamics. Parricides, hence, could be prevented by improving child-parent relationships, healthy communication, encouraging socialising, providing therapy, getting treatment in cases of psychotic disorders and learning to control aggression and impulses. A family counselor brings these symptoms to light during family counseling sessions.

Research Findings on Children Who Kill Parents

One research in Psychiatry (2010) by Sara and Mendel observed that sons who kill their single parent (mother or father) showed symptoms of Schizophrenia in common, and the parent was dominant and aggressive. They reported that daughters who kill their parents had strained relationships, even if their parents were violent and hostile towards the daughter. Family system theory mainly explains offenders’ chronic hatred for parent victims. There are a few cases of parents who mistreated their child excessively and may have pushed them towards an explosion. Men mostly commit more crimes as compared to women, and cases of patricides are higher in number than those of Matricides. The family counselor’s role is undeniable in all this. If in all these

How Therapy and Communication Can Prevent Parricide

Now, picture this: Jennifer Pan can live as she wishes. Her parents have a genuine conversation with her, listen to what she says, accept her as she is and may feel happy to have reconciled with her parents. Both she and the child must have been alive. The World can become a better place through one step, one idea, one conversation, and one helping hand.

About Dr Nisha Khanna

Dr Nisha Khanna is a leading family counselor in Delhi, NCR and India. Dr Khanna provides online, telephonic, and face-to-face family counseling services worldwide. Media invite Dr Nisha Khanna almost every week to share her expert opinion as a family counselor on leading topics. For further, visit Bye Tense or call us at +91-9818211474