title: A comparative study of predictive criteria in the predisposition of homicidal adolescents.
abstract: The authors evaluated the criteria that are cited in the literature as predictive of homicidal predisposition. They applied three categories of criteria--clinical, developmental, and environmental factors--to a study group of 10 adolescents who had committed homicide, 10 who had threatened or attempted homicide, and 10 hospitalized controls. Their findings did not support the presence of a well-crystallized predisposition for homicidal behavior in this population, but they did show that the adolescents who committed homicide were psychotic-regressive and those who threatened or attempted homicide were organic-impulsive. The study strongly suggests the importance of environmental factors in reinforcing homicidal behavior.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000987:Antisocial Personality Disorder; D001925:Brain Damage, Chronic; D002653:Child Behavior Disorders; D003417:Criminal Psychology; D002658:Developmental Disabilities; D004569:Electroencephalography; D004775:Enuresis; D004777:Environment; D005191:Family Characteristics; D006708:Homicide; D006801:Humans; D007360:Intelligence; D007859:Learning Disabilities; D008297:Male; D010262:Paraphilic Disorders; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D010554:Personality Disorders; D012306:Risk; D012559:Schizophrenia; D012725:Sexual Behavior; D013064:Speech Disorders; D013405:Suicide; D014754:Violence