URBAN ADOLESCENT HOMICIDAL VIOLENCE - AN EMERGING PUBLIC-HEALTH CONCERN

Homicidal violence among adolescent youth in American inner cities has been documented and studied for some time. A pattern of elevated leth al violence has been observed to peak during adolescence; this has res ulted in homicide being identified as one of the major causes of death among adolescents. Further, homicide is reported to be particularly p revalent among ethnic minority males residing in major metropolitan ar eas in the United States. Even more alarming is the fact that the perp etrators of these homicides are also adolescent urban youth. The reali ty of this pattern of homicidal violence among urban adolescent youth begs more thorough conceptual study.