Ryan Mcfarland: Campbell details rare familicide patterns and guns
After the Muscatine tragedy, ryan mcfarland centered the discussion on what researchers know about familicide and the warning signs that can appear before a family homicide-suicide. Dr. Jacquelyn Campbell of Johns Hopkins University said these cases are rare and usually follow prior domestic violence against a wife who is leaving.
Campbell said, "Fortunately, it’s very rare and I can’t give you exact numbers on these." She added, "Family annihilation is what some people call them or familicide." She also said, "Usually there has been prior domestic violence against this, the wife, and that’s part of why she’s leaving."
Jacquelyn Campbell on familicide
Campbell, a professor of nursing at Johns Hopkins University and a domestic violence homicide researcher, said these killings are almost always carried out with guns. She said research has also identified a prior threat of suicide as a common pattern in family homicide-suicide cases.
She pointed to a Louisiana case while discussing that warning sign, saying, "I think about that horrible case in Louisiana not too long ago where he was incredibly despondent." Her comments put the focus on patterns researchers have seen rather than on the details of the Muscatine case itself.
Family Resources support
Nicole Cisne Durbin, president and CEO of Family Resources, said continued contact can matter for people experiencing domestic violence. "If you keep asking and showing up and not giving up on them and offering them support, that’s what’s really, really important," she said.
Durbin said Family Resources can help people understand what they need to feel safe. She said, "And then of course you can offer our services. We’re not gonna tell people what to do, like I said. We’re not gonna say, ‘That’s a bad relationship.’ we’re gonna help you understand what it is you need to feel safe."
Long-term effects in Muscatine
Durbin said the effects of family violence may last for years. "Because a tragedy like this isn’t going to just go away overnight or even in a couple weeks, and it may take somebody needing support for many years to come," she said.
Resources listed for people seeking help include Family Resources, local school counselors, and the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. For someone already worried about violence at home, the practical step is to keep the contact open and use one of those support lines or people rather than waiting for the situation to pass on its own.
