NCJ Number
153404
Journal
Juvenile Justice Digest Volume: 23 Issue: 1 Dated: (January 5, 1995) Pages: 7-10
Date Published
1995
Length
4 pages
Annotation
The third in a series articles on British children who commit murder, this article presents Home Office statistics for the years 1982-1992 and discusses homicidal trends among juveniles.
Abstract
During the reporting period, 236 youths were convicted of homicide (40 percent murder and 60 percent manslaughter), with the curve declining after a peak in 1986. Ninety-five percent of the homicides were committed by males between the ages of 14 and 16; 38 percent of those convicted received a life sentence, but most received a sentence of less than 4 years. Guns were seldom the weapon used in juvenile-perpetrated murder, reflecting the fact that, in contrast to the U.S., handguns are not a major part of British culture. Family disorganization and differential socialization processes seemed to have a strong influence on the development of aggressiveness and serious antisocial behaviors among juveniles murderers. Strategies to prevent future incidents of juvenile murder should focus on improving parenting skills, promoting family stability, and initiating violence reduction campaigns. 29 references