TYPOLOGY OF CHILD MURDER AND ATTEMPTED MURDER INCLUDING RISK AND PROTECTIVE FACTORS

Abstract

The objective of this article is to present a typology of child murders, elucidating their social and educational conditions, encompassing both risk and protective factors. The overarching goal of the text is to advocate and initiate systematic analyses of child deaths in Poland to enhance the efficacy of crime prevention.The conclusions presented herein are drawn from the scrutiny of court files related to concluded criminal proceedings under Art. 148 of the Penal Code in Poland during 2021-2022. These documents were provided by the office of the Ombudsman for Children to facilitate the reconstruction of the social and educational contexts surrounding child fatalities.In our research, we applied the method of individual cases focused on contrasting comparisons, typology of the phenomenon under study, and reconstruction of its conditions.The resulting conclusions outline four distinct types of homicides, delineated by their social and educational aspects: (1) homicide stemming from an "unnoticed" trajectory of domestic violence, (2) homicide arising from mental disorders (3) homicide coupled with unpreparedness for the arrival of a child, and (4) murder as a consequence of failing to protect the child against aggression from another adult who is not a parent. This typology enabled the identification of both risk and protective factors, forming the foundation for recommending strategies to counteract child murders.The proposed preventive activities encompass: professional intervention with families, a cohesive flow of information, interdisciplinary collaboration and team work, enhancement of professional skills and competencies (including diagnostic skills), and the inclusion and sensitization of the social environment (preventive community work).

Keywords

• social pedagogy
• social work
• prevention
• social rehabilitation
• crimes committed against children