NCJ Number
19280
Journal
American Journal of Orthopsychiatry Volume: 45 Issue: 1 Dated: (JANUARY 1975) Pages: 134-145
Date Published
1975
Length
12 pages
Annotation
STUDY OF NINE YOUTHS WHO HAVE COMMITTED HOMICIDES WHICH EXPLORES WHAT THESE YOUTHS ARE LIKE AND WHAT MAKES THEM KILL, AND SUGGESTS GUIDES FOR POSSIBLE THERAPEUTIC TREATMENT APPROACHES.
Abstract
INCLUDED ARE AN EVALUATION OF THE COPING TOOLS THESE YOUTHS HAVE OR DO NOT HAVE AND A STUDY OF THE EFFECTS UPON THEIR BEHAVIOR AND ADJUSTMENT OF GAPS IN THEIR ABILITY TO COPE. EXAMINED ARE THE CRITICAL ROLE OF THE ABSENCE OF A SUCCESSFUL DEVELOPMENT OF COGNITIVE SKILLS AND THE EFFECT OF A MORE OR LESS ABSOLUTE RELIANCE ON FEELING TO INTERPRET THE WORLD. RESEARCHERS CONCLUDED THAT THE VIOLENCE IN THESE YOUTHS SEEMED RELATED TO A SERIOUS DIFFICULTY IN MASTERING READING, LANGUAGE SKILLS, SOCIAL SYMBOLS, COMPREHENSION GENERALLY, AND, POSSIBLY, A CONSEQUENT OVERRELIANCE UPON FEELING TO FATHOM THE WORLD. UNABLE TO COPE, THEY BECOME ALIENATED, REACTIVE, VIOLENT, AND HOMICIDAL. IN OTHER WORDS, THE HOMICIDAL ACT SERVED AS A WAY OF TRYING TO COPE. SUGGESTED TREATMENT PROCEDURES INCLUDE AN INTENSE RE-EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM DESIGNED TO EDUCATE THESE YOUTH TO MASTER SOCIAL INTERCOURSE AND SYMBOLS OF COMMUNICATION AND TO INTERRUPT VIOLENCE AS A MAJOR INTEGRATIVE FORCE, SUBSTITUTING AGENTS OF MATURITY. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)