Adolescents murderers: abuse and adversity in childhood

With rising rates of juvenile violence, an improved understanding of its causes is much needed. The relative absence of controlled studies based on British populations of murderers further increases the need for information in this area. This case control study examines a group of 21 imprisoned males, convicted of murder whilst aged 18 years or less, and compares them on a range of psychosocial variables to 21 convicted non-violent burglars. The groups were matched for age at interview and race. Results showed that lower socio-economic status, harsh parenting from both mother and father, and exclusion from school were significantly more common for murderers. Harsh parenting from the mother than from the father appeared to contribute more strongly. When factors were combined in a general adversity index, a significant difference was found between the two groups. The study confirms that multiple environmental factors are associated with murderous behaviour in young men.