Kathleen Heide, Ph.D, is a Professor of Criminology at University of South Florida's College of Behavioral and Community Sciences in Tampa, Florida. Heide studies violence in children, has evaluated hundreds of troubled kids and has testified in court many times. Her research shows most children who kill parents were abused or neglected; many never emotionally bonded with a parent or anyone else. Heide's research shows guns are the weapon of choice for most kids who kill. Heide has been interviewed hundreds of times by reporters in North America, South America and Europe. She has appeared as an expert on Larry King Live, CNN, Fox News, Court TV, TruTV, Good Morning America, and many talks shows including Geraldo, Sally Jesse Raphael, Maury Povich and Rivera Live. Heide is also the author or co-author of more than 100 publications; author of two widely acclaimed books on juvenile homicide and co-author of recently published book on animal cruelty as pathway to human violence. She has won six awards for teaching excellence and has served as member of more than 10 community and state boards of directors, councils, or task forces, including two consecutive gubernatorial appointments to the Florida Sentencing Commission.
Dr. Heide has been honored on many occasions for her educational achievements, research accomplishments, instructional activities, and service to the community and to the profession. Here are just a few. Professor Heide has received five awards for teaching excellence. She was invited by Queen Sofia of Spain to present her research on juvenile homicide at an international conference held on youth violence in Valencia, Spain. She was also invited to give the opening address at an international conference in homicide sponsored by Griffith University and the Australian government in Brisbane, Australia. Professor Heide was one of eight scholars from Australia, the United Kingdom, the United Nations, and the United States recently invited by Monash University in Australia to present my research on parricide at the Prato Centre in Italy. She has been formally recognized as a Distinguished Alumna of the School of Criminal Justice, University at Albany, State University of New York, one of the top schools of criminology in the United States.
