Looking Forward in Records of Youth Abused as Children: Risks for Homicidal, Violent, and Delinquent Offenses

Abstract

To study risks of abuse, violence, and homicide, 181 Abused Children (M age = 12.85 yr., SD = 2.74; 58 girls, 123 boys) were matched with 181 clinic-referred Controls. Data analysis was Shao's bootstrapped logistic regression with area under curve (AUC) and odds ratios (OR). Predictors of abused status were court contacts (OR = 2.04e+22) and poorer executive function (OR = .81; AUC = .99; 95% CI = .97-.99). Groups were tracked forward in records for 9 years (M = 8.78 yr., SD = 1.41). Looking forward, youth (M age = 21.63 yr., SD = 2.07) were classified into Abused Children Later Homicidal (5%, n = 10), Abused Children Later Violent (23%, n = 41), Abused Children Later Delinquent (28%, n = 50), Abused Children Later Nondelinquent (44%, n = 80), and Controls (n = 181). Data were analyzed with two more logistic regressions. Predictors of Abused Children Later Homicidal compared with Controls were number of court contacts (OR = 50,398.78) and poorer executive function (OR = 79.72; AUC = .91; 95% CI = .80-.95). The predictor of Abused Children Later Homicidal contrasted with Abused Children Later Nondelinquent was court contacts (OR = 2,077,089,352; AUC = .87; 95% CI = .65-.95). The common predictor for Abused Children and Abused Children Later Homicidal groups was court contacts.

An exploration of the current knowledge on young people who kill: A systematic review

“…Such violent families may also be prone to criminality and, as Hughes et al (2009) show, the juvenile homicide offenders in their study were raised in a climate of abuse, violence and criminality. By growing up in a family where violent and criminal behaviour are common, these children absorbed and integrated a model of violence.…”

“… Gender (male): Three cohort studies Hughes et al, 2009;Zagar et al, 2009a) and two case-control studies Zagar & Grove, 2010).…”

“… Criminal family members: Two cohort studies Hughes et al, 2009) and three case-control studies Lindberg et al, 2009;Zagar et al, 1990). …”

“…Four cohort studies were included in the review, all of which were carried out by Zagar and his colleagues Hughes et al, 2009;Zagar et al, 2009a;Zagar et al, 2009b). These studies used diverse, independent samples of randomly selected 'at risk' individuals in the USA.…”

Factores de Riesgo Asociados a la Conducta Homicida de un Niño hacia un Par

“…4) Relación con el grupo de pares: relaciones entre el NNA y sus pares que presentan conductas agresivas, están involucrados en conductas delictivas y muestran actitudes positivas hacia éstas, instando al NNA a que participe de dichas conductas, consumen drogas y no tienen respeto por la autoridad, entre otros. En particular, la membrecía a estos grupos se ha asociado a la conducta homicida durante la adolescencia (e.g., Hughes, Zagar, Busch, Grove y Arbit, 2009). 5) Consumo de sustancias: consumo de alcohol y drogas y actos antisociales asociados con el consumo.…”