Gender Disparities and Socioeconomic Triggers in Filicide-Suicide—An Analysis of Media Portrayals
Objectives: Filicide-suicide, a tragic form of homicide-suicide where a parent kills their child before taking their own life, is poorly understood, particularly in the context of gender dynamics. This study aims to explore the gender disparities and socioeconomic triggers in filicide-suicide cases...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
University of Lahore
2025-02-01
|
| Series: | Journal of University College of Medicine and Dentistry |
| Online Access: | https://journals.uol.edu.pk/jucmd/article/view/3624 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1823861344350240768 |
|---|---|
| author | Zainab Pervaiz Maryam Ayub Nazish Imran |
| author_facet | Zainab Pervaiz Maryam Ayub Nazish Imran |
| author_sort | Zainab Pervaiz |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description |
Objectives: Filicide-suicide, a tragic form of homicide-suicide where a parent kills their child before taking their own life, is poorly understood, particularly in the context of gender dynamics. This study aims to explore the gender disparities and socioeconomic triggers in filicide-suicide cases in Pakistan, analyzing the characteristics of victims and perpetrators as reported in the media.
Methodology: A cross-sectional analysis was conducted using reports from major Pakistani newspapers over two years (January 1, 2019, to December 31, 2020). Data were extracted from online newspaper archives, focusing on sociodemographic traits, the methods of filicide-suicide, precipitating factors, and the gender and age of both victims and perpetrators. Descriptive statistics were analyzed using SPSS 26.
Results: Forty-four filicide-suicide incidents were identified. The majority of cases occurred in Punjab (63.6%), followed by Sindh (34.1%), with a single case from KPK (2.3%). Urban areas reported 56.8% of the incidents. Female perpetrators were more prevalent than males, and most victims were also female. The average age of victims was 10.18 years (SD 9.5). Notably, many cases involved multiple victims, a rare phenomenon in existing literature. Drowning (38.6%) and poisoning (31.8%) were the most common methods. Socioeconomic pressures, particularly financial stress, were frequently cited as precipitating factors.
Conclusion: The findings highlight gender disparities in filicide-suicide cases in Pakistan. Female perpetrators and victims dominate these incidents, reflecting deep-rooted gender inequalities. Women’s disproportionate exposure to socioeconomic hardships and societal pressures likely contributes to these tragic outcomes. Addressing these disparities through gender-sensitive mental health interventions is critical to mitigating the risks of filicide-suicide and promoting broader gender equality in health.
Key Words: homicide-suicide, filicide, suicide, mental health.
|
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-7a5c8d9181924bbaa51b18908c18695d |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2790-3443 2790-3451 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-02-01 |
| publisher | University of Lahore |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of University College of Medicine and Dentistry |
| spelling | doaj-art-7a5c8d9181924bbaa51b18908c18695d2025-02-09T22:23:37ZengUniversity of LahoreJournal of University College of Medicine and Dentistry2790-34432790-34512025-02-014S10.51846/jucmd.v4iS.3624Gender Disparities and Socioeconomic Triggers in Filicide-Suicide—An Analysis of Media PortrayalsZainab Pervaiz0Maryam Ayub1Nazish Imran2Post Graduate Resident, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Sciences, King Edward Medical University, Lahore, PakistanConsultant, Fellow Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Department of Child and Family Psychiatry, King Edward Medical University, Lahore, Pakistan.Professor and Chairperson, Department of Child and Family Psychiatry, King Edward Medical University, Lahore, Pakistan. Objectives: Filicide-suicide, a tragic form of homicide-suicide where a parent kills their child before taking their own life, is poorly understood, particularly in the context of gender dynamics. This study aims to explore the gender disparities and socioeconomic triggers in filicide-suicide cases in Pakistan, analyzing the characteristics of victims and perpetrators as reported in the media. Methodology: A cross-sectional analysis was conducted using reports from major Pakistani newspapers over two years (January 1, 2019, to December 31, 2020). Data were extracted from online newspaper archives, focusing on sociodemographic traits, the methods of filicide-suicide, precipitating factors, and the gender and age of both victims and perpetrators. Descriptive statistics were analyzed using SPSS 26. Results: Forty-four filicide-suicide incidents were identified. The majority of cases occurred in Punjab (63.6%), followed by Sindh (34.1%), with a single case from KPK (2.3%). Urban areas reported 56.8% of the incidents. Female perpetrators were more prevalent than males, and most victims were also female. The average age of victims was 10.18 years (SD 9.5). Notably, many cases involved multiple victims, a rare phenomenon in existing literature. Drowning (38.6%) and poisoning (31.8%) were the most common methods. Socioeconomic pressures, particularly financial stress, were frequently cited as precipitating factors. Conclusion: The findings highlight gender disparities in filicide-suicide cases in Pakistan. Female perpetrators and victims dominate these incidents, reflecting deep-rooted gender inequalities. Women’s disproportionate exposure to socioeconomic hardships and societal pressures likely contributes to these tragic outcomes. Addressing these disparities through gender-sensitive mental health interventions is critical to mitigating the risks of filicide-suicide and promoting broader gender equality in health. Key Words: homicide-suicide, filicide, suicide, mental health. https://journals.uol.edu.pk/jucmd/article/view/3624 |
| spellingShingle | Zainab Pervaiz Maryam Ayub Nazish Imran Gender Disparities and Socioeconomic Triggers in Filicide-Suicide—An Analysis of Media Portrayals Journal of University College of Medicine and Dentistry |
| title | Gender Disparities and Socioeconomic Triggers in Filicide-Suicide—An Analysis of Media Portrayals |
| title_full | Gender Disparities and Socioeconomic Triggers in Filicide-Suicide—An Analysis of Media Portrayals |
| title_fullStr | Gender Disparities and Socioeconomic Triggers in Filicide-Suicide—An Analysis of Media Portrayals |
| title_full_unstemmed | Gender Disparities and Socioeconomic Triggers in Filicide-Suicide—An Analysis of Media Portrayals |
| title_short | Gender Disparities and Socioeconomic Triggers in Filicide-Suicide—An Analysis of Media Portrayals |
| title_sort | gender disparities and socioeconomic triggers in filicide suicide an analysis of media portrayals |
| url | https://journals.uol.edu.pk/jucmd/article/view/3624 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT zainabpervaiz genderdisparitiesandsocioeconomictriggersinfilicidesuicideananalysisofmediaportrayals AT maryamayub genderdisparitiesandsocioeconomictriggersinfilicidesuicideananalysisofmediaportrayals AT nazishimran genderdisparitiesandsocioeconomictriggersinfilicidesuicideananalysisofmediaportrayals |