What does society need to do to stop the incidence of a biological parent's SO killing the non-biological children.

This question is a subset of the eternal and persistent question involving children at risk: Is there any hope for reducing the staggering numbers of unfit parents?

I can assure you that Child Protective Services is an unseen (for most people) part of government and yet is still a very busy department in each region.

Yes and the load on these ALWAYS underfunded and underdtaffed agencies is crushing. All of us know that the shifting economic situation in the country pretty much guarantees that the load of at risk children can only increase. The bleak reality is that this same economic shift increasingly starves watchdog agencies of resources in the face of exploding demand. Things look grim.

Birth control. Education. Hash tag stop shaming women who choose termination.

You answered your own question. The mother needs to not be with a horrible man. She is possibly poor (not necessarily) insecure, needy, and chooses a man over her child. I myself as a young person stayed with a boy/man who mistreated me, I can understand how easy it can be to stay in a bad relationship, but I would hope if I had had a baby I never would do such a thing, but maybe the stresses of motherhood make it even more likely if money is tight?

We need to look at root causes. The environments people are being raised in and how it affects them as adults. The guy is a murderer! Was he jealous of the kid? Has he murdered more than one person?

I don’t know if these type of murders are on the rise? I’ve heard about them my whole life. Rape, murder, all sorts of horrible from SO’s and step-parents.

Just like when all those stories came out about Priests molesting and raping boys, I knew about that from many many years before. I didn’t know the extent of it, but I always knew the possibility, and had heard other news stories about an incident here and there.

This is nothing new. It goes back to the Bible and Jacob and Esau. Biological mothers do bad things to their non-biological wards.

Given that this parental inclination goes back thousands of years, I would say that it it essential human nature, and it is unlikely to change with one initiative or another in 2016.

@msh Your statement has a lot of unsupported “facts” that you have characterized as an out of control situation.

“This type of murder is on the rise in every state.” Really? I don’t hear that much about it except in a few areas of the country.

“Why aren’t the laws and penalties more harsh than the few years?” Again, what would you do, make it illegal? It already is. Murder is pretty harshly punished. And these tend to be crimes of the moment, rather than a planned killing, so how would a stronger penalty save the child?

And, is it really an issue of a non-biological SO, or is it children in general that are in danger? I read a lot about parents that lose control of their emotions that strike out at their own children, and I would wager that is a much bigger problem.

I stand with @cazzie . Stop supporting women who cannot afford them. They may have one on the taxpayers dime. But after that, they are on their own. There will be no increases in monthly checks. The only supplied medical care the taxpayers will pay for will be an abortion if the woman desires.

Let me help you catch up @zenvelo – plus those quick to criticize here-
It is called the Cinderella Complex primarily used in relation to Child Abuse for the information you may need to look under. Also, in the Children’s Bill of Rights. Murder Statistics in The United States •check under Non-Biological Child Abuse and Murder. Then there are the articles I have found in other previous research. Such subjects as: Child Abuse, The Roles of The Males In Today’s Families,The War on Children, The American Fathers- The Role of the Next Father, start with those, there are more.
Oh, Cinderella Complex started being bandied about towards the end of the last century, but has now been cited vernacular in some legal cases. Child Custody Cases helped garner this complex the most, even some other Western Countries have begun to find it useful. I, however need a few more varied types of useage before I were to cite it in any of my work. You may choose differently. The older vocabulary may still be cited more, but, as I stated, do not neglect using the term when researching, it might yeild more information for you.
Also, please read information on the: Treatment of Elder Children also. Small children are not the only victims. Though because older children may be better-able to physically protect themselves more often. Ooo-and there are also various studies concerning the statistics as to the sex of the abused/ murdered child – that was a very important portion of some of my research and citations.
I have found that studying each State’s Statistical Data which is published annually very helpful also. I, personally, used the data from approximately 1987-ish onward. Stats begin to vary around this time due to the socioeconomic changes the US experienced during these studies.
When trying to contact any State’s Department of Human Services, you will have a devil of a time being able to speak to various individuals. I found that starting either with that state’s Legal Defense Representation For Children although it does vary dramatically between Young Children and Adolescents etc.- it depends primarily on the governmental vernacular of a particular state, or with Specific Age, Race, Economic, Familial History of Abuse by all involved.
California’s own information might be a great place for you to start, being from one such varied city and economic standing within the State’s own composites. Your state is often used in studies due to these factors. That should brighten your day!
Just a few thoughts to aid your research. Oh yes- IMO, as different interpretation of the data may vary.

Oh! And the desire from some to “punish Women ” via cutting State and National Services? Whom do you think this takes out of the home for needed secondary employment income?This method causes the enabling of this very type of incidents you wish to remedy?
Are some believing that children are born of Immaculate Conception ?
The norm has risen in the numbers of Men whom actively pursue the social status which has been afforded (and statistically on the upswing), since the turn of this century. The Many ‘baby daddy’ status. Or virility on crack. Perhaps neutering or spaying should become viable solutions!?!

Finally- Just where do some think the areas in need of Women’s Abortion Services and Care Facilities should be placed? In the states where they have been closed- thus directly violating the Federal Laws? Too late. The Planned Parenthood Centers which are targeted for deadly violence from the misguided – predominantly religiously guided men, who have caused it to be so?
Or to the State and National Legislatures trying their damnedest to cut funding to PLANNED Parenthood for Women’s Health?
Again just a thought. A question. A suggestion. IMO, I guess.

@msh Please provide a cite for Cinderella Complex or Cinderella Syndrome meaning child abuse. I get the analogy, but the term refers (in psychological literature) to women who want a Prince Charming to rescue them.

Also, links for your stats?

I still don’t believe this is any more of a problem than it was fifty years ago, or more than the incidence of filicide.

I’m with @zenvelo on this, completely. I don’t doubt that it’s an issue; why, it’s even got a name! So of course it’s a problem; it’s a goddamn syndrome and all.

I still think the incidence of children drowning in bathtubs is probably more prevalent, but it needs a name, apparently, before people will realize that we’re serious about not drowning children in bathtubs any more.

I’m not trying to make light of an issue that is an obvious tragedy to the innocent family members (and I would certainly include under “innocent” any six-year-old who is coerced to lie about a murder she witnessed – what a horror that must be!), but I do not agree that it’s a national epidemic.

Sorry kids You must not be reading current enough materials.
I gave you all you needed. I figure that ’ with all you’ve read ’ you would know how to do searches on the internet. If you wish to stay with Fairy Tales…. Im sure you can find something to appeal somewhere on your interpretation also.
I guess all that time on my dissertation was for naght. Alas!!!!
Big words not found in research of fairy tales- have dictionary and thesaurus handy.
Oh, this may help: it’s the Brothers Grimm- not the other way around.

Having a bad day ^, ^^?
You don’t seem happy.
Hope your days get better! :)***************~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Is it on the rise or is it being reported more frequently? Are there crime statistics to show there is an increasing number of this type of murder?

How to stop it? I agree with @cazzie that options for women to terminate pregnancies or to put children up for adoption should be made more easily and shamelessly available. @LuckyGuy, I didn’t read @cazzie‘s comment as “not supporting women who can’t afford” children. The majority of mothers, even those with little income, do not murder and are not complicit in their children’s murder. To remove support from underprivileged parents would not alleviate risk to children, it would just create more stress for those who need help and in turn potentially create more risk.

Are women or men more likely to commit infanticide in the case of a non-biological child? I’ve seen a few comments here that appear to blame the women. For instance, she shouldn’t be with a bad man. She shouldn’t be financially supported. While I understand that @msh mentioned women who then cover for the killers, I’d again like to see evidence that this is the norm. I’d also question whether the woman/women were themselves victims of domestic violence. If they were, while it doesn’t excuse supporting their children’s murder, it does provide some explanation of why it might happen. She might be as much of a victim as the children. These are complicated issues and there is no ‘one-answer-fits-all’ solution.

I again agree with @cazzie that more education and support for parents can only help. I also think greater support and less shaming for those in violent relationships would provide an easier exit strategy for women (or men) who find themselves in a violent relationship and can’t see a way out. There also have to be refuges and places women and children who feel at risk can go. Perhaps someone can tell me how available such services are in the US. I know they are very thin on the ground in this country. We’re good at saying ‘women should…’ but not with providing the protection if she does leave. I believe women and children are actually more at risk once they leave such a relationship because the violent party is more likely to take revenge. We have to make sure we provide places of safety if we’re going to insist women leave. Men, and it is mostly men, who are violent towards their partners and children do not start off that way. It can happen to anyone. From the very affluent to the very poor, from the educated to the uneducated.

In the end, if we want to ensure children are taken care of, we have to take care of the parents who are entrusted with their care. That means reliable services that monitor families at risk. Hotlines for people to alert the authorities if they feel a child/children might be at risk. Help such as parenting classes for those who need them. We also have to make sure we’ve provide outlets for those who need help to escape violent partners.

Of equal concern to me is what appears to be an increase in the number of parents who kill their offspring. Whether because they are depressed, or angry at a relationship breakdown, or are facing life stress. There have been a couple of cases in recent years here where the men have been held up as ‘wonderful fathers’ who loved their families. I’m sorry, I don’t rate a man who because he’s depressed, facing financial ruin or for any other reason, takes a shotgun and shoots his children or his wife and children. If someone is depressed and they take their own life, so be it. Don’t take your family with you though.

Awww… shit…. I don’t think I explained things enough…. Fuck those who think I meant stop supporting women who want children but can’t support them. You are part of the problem. Supporting women should be your goal. What I support is the choice women face. Do you want to raise a child on your own? Or not. Supporting women who want to raise children couldn’t be a more deserving object of your love and money. Letting a woman choose for herself, is just as important.

@cazzie , uhm… I agree with you. Thus my rant above while waiting for my car to defrost the ice, here.
Women who are being denied what is allowed by Federal Law, and screwed by States who need the services the most, but deny it by shutting down Women’s Health Care Centers?
uh, no.
Y’know, I don’t recall any of these anti-individuals adopting any children nor making childcare a main concern for their clinic-free areas.
Funny, that.
If I am understanding what you are saying correctly?

It wasn’t you @msh.

Addressing those commenting on giving up their baby for adoption, I think that’s pretty easy in America. I guess maybe minority babies aren’t adopted as readily, so maybe if the mother wants an open adoption where she knows her baby is going into a home immediately, possibly that is more difficult. I’m not sure. Most states allow woman to abandon their baby in places deemed safe with zero legal repercussions.

@JLeslie: I thought that if a woman brought her baby to a “safe haven” she’d have zero legal repercussions. I found out that she would still get a Neglect Petition brought against her by CPS. The “correct” procedure is to put the baby up for adoption. The safe haven is really for someone who feels she is going to harm the baby, so the safe haven is just that – a safe haven.

@jca I didn’t know that. I’d say that has been misrepresented by the news, and in TV shows and movies.