What makes a mother kill her children

While reading our daily quota of news, we often come across murders. Although we do speculate on its hows and whys, they have become too commonplace to hold our attention for long. But when we hear about a mother killing her child, our ears suddenly perk up. Not that it’s unheard of, but it’s rare enough to arouse our curiosity.

Filicidal references, those of parents killing their children, can be traced back to biblical and mythological texts. Abraham’s intention to sacrifice Isaac to please God, and Medea killing her children are testament to that effect.

Though maternal filicide comes as a shock to many, there isn’t one but several reasons behind it. Unemployment, single parenthood, discord in marital life, unwanted pregnancy are just a few possibilities. Especially in India, female infanticide is very common owing to the demand for a male infant.

However, sometimes there’s more to the filicide than daily life stressors. This is where mental illness comes in. Psychotic disorders, postpartum depression and substance abuse are some of the common causes leading to maternal filicide.

Maternal filicide can be divided into various categories depending on the age of the child and the intention of the mother. As indicated earlier, infanticide is the most common and may be a result of postpartum depression or postpartum psychosis. Chronic depression is often seen in most mothers who kill their children. This type of filicide is named "altruistic" by psychiatrist, Dr Phillip Resnick. Here, the mother plans to take her own life and believes the children are better off dead with her. Spousal revenge is another reason for filicide wherein the mother kills the children to hurt her husband which typically occurs after infidelity. At times, fatal maltreatment filicide also occurs in which death isn’t anticipated but results from abuse or neglect.

In contrast to the psychiatric causes, filicide due to social causes is prevalent but to a much lesser extent. In case of poverty or low finances, a mother might kill one or more of her children to be able to provide for the rest and help them survive.

However, when we talk about the killing of adolescent children, the dynamics are entirely different. A case in example is the 2011 occurrence where a mother shot her two teenage children and cited the cause as their being too "mouthy". Not much different from road rage, a sudden rage can lead to filicide when the mother is undergoing too much stress and the adolescent piles it over. It leads to a breakdown and she acts under a fit of rage.

Also, not far from the truth is the closing gap between the apparent ages of the mother-daughter duo. With mothers bearing children early yet again as well as keeping up appearances, it’s almost hard to establish them as mother-daughter and not sisters. This leads to a blurring of boundaries where mothers compete with their own daughters in terms of looks, fame and prestige. The need to look younger and match steps with the daughter has not only created a lot of pressure for the mother but she also strives to be at par with her daughter if not better. This sense of competition and wanting to win has created many a conflicts within the duo and when escalated can reach the heights of a filicide.

Another scenario in close quarters is the recent much talked about case of Indrani Mukerjea and Sheena Bora, a mother-daughter duo identifying as sisters. Despite the daughter’s revelations to her stepfather, the mother stuck to her stand regarding the made-up relationships. While the entire country is speculating about the reason behind the filicide, possibilities of need for fame, power and money is doing the rounds. In the age where everyone wants a shortcut to success and instant money, a daughter’s revelation to ruin it all might just have been the trigger.

An individual’s need for success and power traversing states and relationships when seems under threat, s/he would not leave any stone unturned to maintain his/her status quo, even if that meant killing his/her own daughter. Today’s fast-paced, competitive lifestyle that constantly feeds on power and fame leaves no place for relationships and more so when they sabotage one’s identity and standing in society. The power man/woman today strives for success and puts him/herself before everyone else, never mind his/her children. If his/her identity and bank balance suffers threat, s/he doesn’t hesitate to eliminate everyone who comes in his/her path. In his/her lust for power and money, s/he refuses to stop and think before s/he acts, and doesn’t regret it after the deed is done.

It is no surprise that with the increasing stress levels and rampant mental illnesses, murders and filicide are on the rise. Especially in the case of mothers with personality disorders, psychotic spectrum disorders, severe depression and substance abuse, it’s advisable to keep the children under close scrutiny and not alone with the mother.

Fast-paced world and its chase after power and finances is yet another culprit. In view of this, it is imperative to keep one’s stress level in check. Consulting a psychiatrist and psychologist for stress and anxiety management are some steps for primary prevention. Early screening and identification of mental illness both antenatally and postnatally is important. Finding other ways of life satisfaction than the crazy run after money is advisable.