NCJ Number
172679
Journal
Homicide Studies Volume: 1 Issue: 3 Dated: (August 1997) Pages: 234-253
Date Published
1997
Length
20 pages
Annotation
This study compared groups of young homicidal offenders, violent offenders, and nonviolent offenders in Finland across a set of risk factors that include neurological disorders, early behavior problems, and abuse experiences.
Abstract
It was predicted that the homicidal group would present more of these risk factors than the other two groups and that homicidal study participants would show more evidence of an accumulation of problems. Study participants were recruited from among all male inmates born in or after 1972 in Finland; from 131 inmates solicited, 89 agreed to participate. Data were collected using the 33-item Self-Reported Lifetime Criminality Scale. Findings revealed the onset of alcohol abuse, the prevalence of drug dependence, the extent of physical abuse, and cruelty to animals differentiated homicidal offenders from one or both of the other offender groups. Additionally, a combination of different risk factors proved to be a better predictor of group membership than risk factors considered in isolation from each other. The importance of targeting individuals with a combination of risk factors for preventive intervention is discussed. 48 references and 3 tables