title: A comparative analysis of North American adolescent and adult mass murderers.
abstract: Thirty adult mass murderers and 34 adolescent mass murderers in North America are compared on both offender and offense variables to delineate similarities and differences. Findings indicate a plethora of psychiatric disturbances and odd/reclusive and acting-out personality traits. Predisposing factors include a fascination with weapons and war among many of the adolescents and the development of a "warrior mentality" in most of the adults. Precipitating factors indicate a major rejection or loss in the hours or days preceding the mass murder. Results are interpreted through the lens of threat assessment for targeted violence (Borum, Fein, Vossekuil, & Bergland 1999), recognizing that a fact-based, dynamic behavioral approach is most useful for mitigating risk of such an extremely low-base-rate violent crime.
authors.affiliation: North Texas State Hospital at Vernon, USA. jrmeloy@san.rr.com
authors.forename: J Reid
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Meloy
authors.forename: Anthony G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Hempel
authors.forename: B Thomas
authors.initials: BT
authors.lastname: Gray
authors.forename: Kris
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mohandie
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Shiva
authors.forename: Thomas C
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Richards
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior; D000328:Adult; D003417:Criminal Psychology; D005260:Female; D006708:Homicide / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014481:United States