Looking forward in records of youth abused as infants: risks for homicidal, violent, and delinquent offenses.
To study risks for abuse and later homicidal behavior, 192 abused infants (M age = 3.12 yr., SD = 1.48; 82 girls, 110 boys) and 192 controls were matched on demographics and examined; data discriminating abused and later homicidal cases were analyzed with Shao's bootstrapped logistic regression. Predictors of Abused status were injury, burn, poisoning, fetal substance exposure (OR = 2.47), later parental or youth court contacts (OR = 1.86e+12), and parental alcohol abuse (OR = .54; AUC = .99; 95% CI = .96-.99). Youth tracked through records 12 years (to M age = 15.17 [corrected] yr., SD = 1.89) were classified into Abused Later Homicidal (11%, n = 21), Abused Later Violent (14%, n = 27), Abused Later Delinquent (31%, n = 60), Abused Later Nondelinquent (n = 44), and Control groups (n = 192). Data were analyzed similarly. When the Abused Later Homicidal was contrasted with the Control group, predictors of homicide were three or more home/school moves (OR = .78), illnesses (OR = .90), and later court contacts (OR = 1.75e+07; AUC = .99; 95% CI = .90-.98). When the Abused Later Homicidal was compared with the Abused Later Nondelinquent group, predictors of homicide were poorer executive function (OR = 2.29) and later court contacts (OR = 7.78e+06; AUC = .94; 95% CI = .90-.98).
Zagar
Robert John
RJ
Juvenile Division, Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois, USA. drzagar@yahoo.com
Busch
Kenneth G
KG
Grove
William M
WM
Hughes
John Russell
JR
Arbit
Jack
J
D000293:Adolescent; D002649:Child Abuse / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002650:Child Abuse, Sexual / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006708:Homicide / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007604:Juvenile Delinquency / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D012307:Risk Factors; D012742:Sex Offenses; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders; D014754:Violence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*