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Abstract
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The authors evaluated the criteria that are cited in the literature as predictive of homicidal predisposition. They applied three categories of criteria--clinical, developmental, and environmental factors--to a study group of 10 adolescents who had committed homicide, 10 who had threatened or attempted homicide, and 10 hospitalized controls. Their findings did not support the presence of a well-crystallized predisposition for homicidal behavior in this population, but they did show that the adolescents who committed homicide were psychotic-regressive and those who threatened or attempted homicide were organic-impulsive. The study strongly suggests the importance of environmental factors in reinforcing homicidal behavior.
VioLit summary:
OBJECTIVE:
The purpose of this study by Sendi et al was to examine and compare previous reports concerning homicidal adolescents in order to identify clinical, diagnostic, and prognostic features of murderers.
METHODOLOGY:
This was a quasi-experimental comparative study. Spanning a six-year period, ten adolescent patients who were accused of committing murder were admitted to the Child Psychiatry Division of Clinton Valley Center. The case histories of ten adolescents who were unsuccessful at an attempt to commit homicide or who threatened to murder were additionally available. All subjects were adolescent boys. Also, they were studied as two separate groups. A third group of ten adolescents, who were randomly selected, were utilized as control subjects. They were chosen from among hospitalized patients. These offenders had been hospitalized for various psychiatric problems such as schizophrenia, personality disorder, organic brain syndrome, and learning disability combined with emotional and behavior illnesses.
Most of the subjects were clustered into three groups. The following predictive criteria were taken into consideration: factual clinical information, factors that were either environmental or personal that intervened with development, and environmental or psychodynamic factors that reinforced the child's tendency to act out violently.
For one week the completed record in addition to the current behavior for each adolescent were analyzed by two independent raters. The statistical evaluation form was scored by each rater. Each criteria was scored independently based on either the absence or presence of these criteria. These data were subsequently cross-validated.
The agreement among each of the four raters was almost at the ninety-five percent level. The distribution of the three categories among the three groups of adolescents was tested using the chi-square method obtained in order that the clusters of significant criteria among each of the three groups may be identified.
FINDINGS/DISCUSSION:
Most adolescent murderers under study were diagnosed as schizophrenic. Organic brain disorder was diagnosed to seventy percent of the group who either attempted or threatened homicide. An average or above-average IQ was present in eight of the boys in the group who committed homicide. A retarded or below-average IQ was present in sixty percent of the adolescents who either attempted or threatened homicide. In addition, abnormal EEGs were more prevalent among those who either threatened or attempted homicide. Also, only twenty percent of those who committed homicide displayed abnormal EEGs.
Intentional homicides were present in ninety percent of the cases. Family members were chosen among four of the subjects; and six boys murdered either friends or strangers.
Significant percentages of those who committed homicide and those who attempted or threatened homicide came from an unfavorable home environment when compared to the control group. An unfavorable home environment was defined as one in which "a considerable amount of stress was present, including parental neglect, abuse, or absence." The significant presence of five factors distinguished the adolescent murderers from the group who attempted or threatened to kill and the control group. Those factors included: sexual inhibition, exposure to murder or violence, seduction by a parent, and brutality by a parent. (CSPV Abstract - Copyright © 1992-2007 by the Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence, Institute of Behavioral Science, Regents of the University of Colorado)
KW - Homicide Offender
KW - Juvenile Male
KW - Juvenile Offender
KW - Juvenile Violence
KW - Violence Causes
KW - Violence Prediction
KW - Homicide Causes
KW - Homicide Prediction
KW - Offender Characteristics
KW - Male Offender
KW - Male Violence
Language: en |