ABSTRACT
More than 90% of all juveniles arrested for murder in the United States are male. Most studies on juvenile homicide offenders (JHOs) have used small samples and have concentrated on male offenders without regard to their age. Although the literature has indicated for decades that there are differences in the reasons children and adolescents kill, no research has systematically analyzed victim, offender, and offense correlates among younger and older male JHOs. This chapter begins by discussing differences between younger and older juveniles with respect to primary influences, cognitive development, personality development, moral development, and brain development. Following this synthesis, the authors use Supplementary Homicide Report data (1976–2016) to build on earlier SHR analyses of male JHOs. Male JHOs are divided into three groups: age 10 years and under, ages 11 and 12 years, and ages 13 to 17 years. Significant differences emerged across age groups with respect to victim age, weapon type, victim-offender relationship, victim sex, co-offender status, and homicide circumstances. Logistic regression models identified variables that were predictive of younger and older age groups. This chapter concludes with a discussion of our findings in terms of the clinical literature, including possible explanations for age differences, treatment implications, and possible intervention strategies.
