NCJ Number
161785
Journal
Journal of Adolescence Volume: 19 Issue: 1 Dated: special issue (February 1996) Pages: 19-39
Date Published
1996
Length
21 pages
Annotation
Following a review of the literature on etiology, assessment, treatment, and outcomes, descriptive data are presented on a 5-year cohort of 20 adolescent murderers from England and Wales who ranged in age from 5 to 18 years.
Abstract
An adolescent forensic psychiatrist assessed the 20 juvenile murderers between 1983 and 1988. Of the 20 youths, half were 16 years of age or younger, 19 were white, and 18 were male. They came from backgrounds characterized by unstable family lives, absent fathers with a history of alcohol abuse, psychopathic disorders, and violence in the home. Mothers showed a history of depressive illness, with increasing difficulty caring for and coping with their families as children entered the teenage years. Offending started early and included previous offenses of violence, sexual assault, and arson. For one-third of the group, the first conviction was for homicide. In homicide cases, 11 victims were stabbed, 4 were beaten, and 5 were strangled to death. Although male and female victims were equal in number, all victims under 10 years of age were female. Following arrest, whether allowed to remain with the family, under open or secure care of social services, psychiatric secure care, or remand to prison, all but one adolescent experienced a progression of reactions and feelings similar to a grief reaction. The value of focused, cognitive-behavioral psychotherapy with juvenile murderers is demonstrated. Suggestions are offered to refine juvenile homicide categories and to facilitate increased information sharing between adolescents and adult forensic specialists. 45 references, 5 tables, and 9 figures