NCJ Number
238326
Date Published
2011
Length
202 pages
Annotation
This book, Juvenile Homicide - Fatal Assault or Lethal Intent?, examines the problem of violent juvenile male-to-male encounters.
Abstract
The book presents the results of research investigating the problem of violent juvenile male-to-male encounters that sometimes end in the death of the victim. The objective of the study was twofold: 1) to document situational factors in violent juvenile male-to-male encounters that lead to the death of the victim; and 2) to determine whether aggravated assault and homicide offenses that involved juvenile male perpetrators would have differing sets of structural-cultural factors. The study identified situational risk factors that could affect the severity of incident outcomes that include weapon instrumentality, offenders' specific intent to do harm, offenders' perception of victim-precipitation, motive, and presence of a social audience. Situational risk factors that account for lethal intent among juvenile male perpetrators include type of weapon involved, offenders' perception of victim-precipitation, motive, systemic drug-relatedness, and presence of a social audience. The situational risk factors are discussed in detail in chapter 6. Other chapters in the book examine the problem of violent juvenile male-to-male encounters, structural and cultural risk factors for juvenile homicide, the situational nature of male-to-male violence, lethal intent and the weapon instrumentality effect, the research strategy for the current study, and developing youth violence prevention and intervention strategies. Tables, figures, endnotes, appendixes, and bibliography