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Young Men Who Kill: A Prospective Longitudinal Examination From Childhood

NCJ Number
239741
Journal
Homicide Studies Volume: 16 Issue: 2 Dated: May 2012 Pages: 99-128
Author(s)
David P. Farrington; Rolf Loeber; Mark T. Berg
Date Published
May 2012
Length
30 pages
Annotation
This study examined the factors that place an individual at-risk to commit homicide.
Abstract
Prior research has revealed important insights about some factors which increase the probability that individuals will commit murder; however, existing studies rely on retrospective data from institutional samples and have not examined homicide offending using data collected before the murder was committed. The authors used prospective longitudinal data from the Pittsburgh Youth Study to examine homicide using factors from multiple informants and developmental periods. Early risk scores showed whether homicide offenders could be predicted at an early age. The study reveals early-life factors that increase risk for perpetrating lethal violence and yields information on the dose-response relationships between predictors and homicide. Abstract published by arrangement with Sage Journals.