NCJ Number
60963
Journal
International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology Volume: 23 Issue: 1 Dated: (1979) Pages: 65-72
Date Published
1979
Length
8 pages
Annotation
INTENDED FOR CORRECTIONS PROFESSIONALS AND DOCTORS, THIS ARTICLE DISCUSSES SOME CHARACTERISTICS OF JUVENILE MURDERERS AND PROVIDES FIVE CASE STUDIES.
Abstract
CASE STUDIES ARE OF A 15-YEAR-OLD WHO KILLED A GIRL IN REACTION TO RIGID PARENTS, TWO 13-YEAR-OLDS WHO COMMITTED MURDER OUT OF SIBLING JEALOUSY, A 14-YEAR-OLD WHO KILLED HIS STEP-FATHER, AND A 15-YEAR-OLD WHO KILLED HIS MOTHER. SEVERAL CHARACTERISTICS WERE COMMON AMONG 19 JUVENILE MURDERERS, ALL BOYS BETWEEN 13 AND 17. HAVING POORLY SOCIALIZED PERSONALITIES DEPENDENT UPON STRONGLY AMBIVALENT MOTHERS THE BOYS EXPERIENCED INTENSE STRUGGLES BETWEEN THEIR NEED FOR SELF-EXPRESSION AND IDENTITY AND THEIR REGRESSIVE DRIVES. THE STRUGGLE CONTINUED AS MOTHER CONTINUED TO BE AMBIVALENT AND DOMINATE FATHERS OR OTHERS OFFERED NO SUPPORT. REGRESSION WON OUT AND INFANTILE SELF-ABSORPTION FOLLOWED; ONLY SELF-JUSTIFICATION THROUGH PROJECTION ONTO OTHERS OF UNACCEPTABLE FEELINGS AND PARANOIA PREVENTED PERSONALITY DISINTEGRATION. WHEN PARANOID PROJECTION BUILT UP SUFFICIENTLY, MURDEROUS IMPULSES BROKE THROUGH UPON PROVOCATION HIGHLY SIGNIFICANT TO THE CHILDREN ONLY; THESE IMPULSES RELIEVED PENT-UP, INTOLERABLE TENSION. THE ARTICLE ALLEGES THAT TREATING SUCH CHILDREN IS DIFFICULT SINCE FEW EVER SHOW OBVIOUS SIGNS OF TURMOIL AND PARENTS ARE UNCOOPERATIVE EVEN WHEN OTHERS CONFRONT THEM WITH THEIR CHILDREN'S DISTURBANCES. ALL OF THE BOYS DISCUSSED IN THE ARTICLE WERE FORCED INTO A PASSIVE, COMPLIANT POSITION NOT ONLY WITH THEIR MOTHERS BUT IN LIFE AND WERE NOT ALLOWED NORMAL OUTLETS FOR AGGRESSION. ALL HAD CONFUSED AND DEFICIENT SENSES OF SELF AND THUS GREAT PROBLEMS RELATING TO OTHERS. SOME WERE SUBSEQUENTLY IMPROVED WITH PSYCHOTHERAPY, BUT SOME RESISTED AND MANIFESTED PROBLEMS FOR YEARS. REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. (PAP)