NCJ Number
187235
Journal
Trauma, Violence, & Abuse Volume: 2 Issue: 1 Dated: January 2001 Pages: 56-78
Editor(s)
Jon R. Conte
Date Published
January 2001
Length
23 pages
Annotation
This article reviews existing research on child abduction and child homicide and attempts to identify and assess potential victim risk factors through a discussion of victim access, vulnerability, and routine activity theory.
Abstract
The article addresses such issues as whether children of certain ages or genders are more likely to be targeted by offenders, characteristics of offenders, relationships between victims and offenders, and whether motive or crime technique differs between offenders who are familiar with victims versus strangers. Ecological perspectives on child homicide are also examined, including the concepts of competition, predation, and developmental victimology. The authors indicate research that considers the relevant questions and issues directly benefits law enforcement personnel, social workers, and forensic scientists who are actively working child homicide cases, as well as social scientists involved in formulating child homicide prevention programs and policies. Implications of the review of research for practice and policy formulation are discussed, with emphasis on the dynamics of child homicide, crime patterns in different age groups, and ways of reducing homicide risk in early childhood. 63 references, 1 note, 1 table, and 1 figure