INTRAFAMILIAL HOMICIDE COMMITTED BY JUVENILES - EXAMINATION OF A SAMPLE WITH RECOMMENDATIONS FOR PREVENTION

The current study examines a sample of 112 adolescents convicted of mu rder. From this sample, 11 adolescents who murdered a member of their family were chosen for indepth examination. All participants were conv icted as an adult for murder and received a prison sentence. Character istics of the crimes were explored, including demographic information, relationship to victim, motive, and weapon used in the commission of the crime. Additionally, DSM diagnosis information was available for s ome participants. A majority of the homicides (N = 8) were committed w ith a gun that was available in the home. More than half of the subjec ts murdered a parent or parental figure and the most salient character istic was the presence of a chaotic family life prior to the homicide. No single motive was dominant, indicating that intrafamilial homicide is the culmination of a number of factors, including abuse and psycho pathology. Based on the findings, recommendations are provided to addr ess the needs of youth who are at risk for committing violent crimes s uch as intrafamilial homicide.