NCJ Number
35805
Journal
American Journal of Psychiatry Volume: 133 Issue: 8 Dated: (AUGUST 1976) Pages: 957-961
Date Published
1976
Length
5 pages
Annotation
THE PERSONALITY, FAMILY, ENVIRONMENTAL, AND FOLLOW-UP TRAITS OF 10 YOUTHS CHARGED WITH PARRICIDE ARE COMPARED WITH TRAITS OF 10 YOUTHS CHARGED WITH MURDER OF A FRIEND OR RELATIVE AND 10 CHARGED WITH MURDER OF A STRANGER.
Abstract
THE RESULTS SHOWED THAT ADOLESCENTS WHO WERE CHARGED WITH PARRICIDE SHOWED THE FOLLOWING SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES FROM ONE OR BOTH OF THE TWO CONTROL GROUPS: FEWER TYPICAL ADOLESCENT SEXUAL OUTLETS AND SOCIAL RELATIONSHIPS (MANIFESTED BY DIFFERENCES IN DATING PATTERNS); FEWER INDICATIONS OF POOR IMPULSE CONTROL OR AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOR; MORE INDICATIONS OF CHRONIC PHYSICAL ABUSE BY PARENTS; MORE EVIDENCE OF ATYPICAL SEXUAL STIMULATION BY PARENTS; GREATER FREQUENCY OF CHRONIC ABUSE OF A PASSIVE MOTHER BY THE FATHER; FAMILY PATTERNS OF ABSENT FATHERS; AND MORE INSTANCES OF AMNESIA FOR THE MURDER ACT. THE ADOLESCENTS WHO WERE CHARGED WITH MURDERING STRANGERS WERE SIGNIFICANTLY MORE LIKELY THAN THE PARRICIDAL GROUP TO HAVE A HISTORY OF POOR IMPULSE CONTROL, AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOR, AND PREVIOUS ARRESTS AND SENTENCES TO TRAINING SCHOOLS. THIS GROUP WAS SIGNIFICANTLY MORE LIKELY THAN THE GROUP OF ADOLESCENTS CHARGED WITH MURDERING A RELATIVE TO HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED BY SOME AGENCY AS NEEDING PSYCHIATRIC TREATMENT BEFORE THE CRIME, TO HAVE SHOWN INSTANCES OF DRUG OR ALCOHOL ABUSE, AND TO HAVE SHOWN SOME EVIDENCE OF PLANNING THE CRIME. ALL THREE GROUPS OF HOMICIDAL ADOLESCENTS SHOWED A SIMILARLY LOW INCIDENCE OF SELF-DESTRUCTIVE BEHAVIOR AND ALMOST NO DRUG OR ALCOHOL INTOXICATION AT THE TIME OF THE CRIME. A HIGH LEVEL OF FAMILY AND HOME DISORGANIZATION WAS PRESENT IN ALL THREE GROUPS, ALONG WITH EVIDENCE OF MARKED MALADJUSTMENT AND BEHAVIOR DISORDERS IN THE PARENTS, ALTHOUGH THE TYPES OF PARENTAL DISORDERS DIFFERED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT)