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Essay Subject: Reasons for increase in murder by youth, guns, statistics, types of murders, socioeconomics, ethnicity, family violence.... More...

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Paper Abstract: Reasons for increase in murder by youth, guns, statistics, types of murders, socioeconomics, ethnicity, family violence. Paper Introduction: Juveniles commit murder at an alarming rate in the United States. Typically, the victims are other juveniles. Consequently, whereas the thoughts of young people in generations past centered on proms, college, or sports, today's youth are preoccupied with personal safety, particularly in high-crime, urban areas. The threat of homicide is especially prevalent for young males. According to the U.S. Department of Justice and the Center for Disease Control, the leading cause of death in young males is homicides. The United States is the most violent country in the world. Compare death rates for males between the ages of 15-24 years of 2 homicides per 100,000 persons in France or 5 homicides per 100,000 persons in Scotland to 22 homicides per 100,000 persons in the United States (U.S. Congress, 1992, p. Text of the Paper: The entire text of the paper is shown below. However, the text is somewhat scrambled. We want to give you as much information as we possibly can about our papers and essays, but we cannot give them away for free. In the text below you will find that while disordered, many of the phrases are essentially intact. From this text you will be able to get a solid sense of the writing style, the concepts addressed, and the sources used in the research paper. Virtually unlimited access to handguns has contributed to thespiraling increase in the incidence of homicide by juveniles. Congress. 7).Of the sample in the New York study, 68 percent lived with their mothersand less than four percent lived with their fathers. House of Representatives Subcommitteeon Crime and Criminal Justice of the Committee on the Judiciary.Washington: GPO. 54 ). Congress, 1992, p. Homicidal juveniles tend to be those in the adolescent age category.The sample of juveniles in the New York study ranged in age from 13 to 16years at the time their offenses were committed. Only two fathers and one mother were killed by theiroffspring age 1 and under. Grant et al., (1989, December). Each day, 13 children are either murdered, killedaccidentally, or commit suicide using handguns (U.S. 6). The social circumstancesunder which juveniles commit murder are complex and the problem does notlend itself to one-dimensional solutions. U.S. In199 , nearly three of every four juvenile murderers used guns in thecommission of their crimes. One Congressional Representativetestified in a hearing on juvenile violence: "In one city, the homiciderate among children is so high that the school superintendent has asked theschool district to purchase life insurance for all students to help pay forburial costs" (U.S. For instance, gangs reportedly exist in towns withpopulations as small as 8, . 7). 38). A study of juveniles who murder analyzed the background of theseyouthful offenders and crime scene characteristics of their offenses. (1989), "The criminal enterprisemurder suggests much more socialization in crime than the cause-specificmurder, where there is some contextual rationalization for violent acts andbehaving oneself" (p. Department of Justice and the Center for DiseaseControl, the leading cause of death in young males is homicides. Senate Committee on Governmental Affairs. Urban youth are at a greater risk of violence than their non-urbancounterparts. Juveniles who murdered their parents were, in the majority of cases,adolescents. When the innocent strike back. During the198 s, juveniles between the ages of 12 and 24 committed more than 48, homicides. The highincidence of stepparent homicide suggests that a greater degree of familyconflict exists in these situations. Congress, 1994b, p.1). The majority (77 percent) of the youths were armed atthe time of the attack. Joint Hearing.Washington: GPO. The characteristics of the crimes were also categorized according toFBI classifications. About 7 percent lived with grandparents. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, pp. About 86 percent of parentvictims are slain by their sons. The threat of homicide is especially prevalent for young males.According to the U.S. Gun violence: Problems and Solutions.1 3rd Congress, 2nd session. In a confidence assault a verbalexchange occurred between offender and victim. Almost 58 percenthad a history of truancy, 24 percent had a history of alcohol abuse, 48percent had a history of drug abuse, 25 percent had psychiatric histories,and 62 percent had histories of delinquency. Themethodology involved examining the records of 85 juveniles committed to aresidential facility between 1978 and 1986. The percentage of white offenders ranged from a low of 6 percent when stepfathers were victims to a high of 73 percent when birthmothers were victims. Congress,1993, p. Mones, P. The ages of the offspring offenders ranged from nine yearsto 72 years of age. 5). 296-297. Criminal enterprise murders werethose that occurred while the offenders were engaged in a crime committedfor the purposes of personal gain such as burglary, robbery, contractassassination, or as part of a gang-initiation ritual. Compare deathrates for males between the ages of 15-24 years of 2 homicides per 1 , persons in France or 5 homicides per 1 , persons in Scotland to 22homicides per 1 , persons in the United States (U.S. The data indicatesthat about 3 6 parents (both biological and stepparents) were murderedannually by juveniles during the 1 -year period under study (Heide, 1993,p. In the past decade, the number of juvenilescommitting murder with guns increased by 79 percent. Even when the child is not the victim of physical abuse,emotional scars linger that might trigger violent reactions in the future:"Estimates of the rates of intergenerational transmission of violence vary,and they depend on the definition used in the sample. The study found that 25 percent of fathers inthe sample were slain by children under 18 compared to 15 percent ofmothers slain by children in that age category. Battles overdrug turfs routinely involve juvenile bystanders murdered simply becausethey are caught in the crossfire. 7 -71). 11). Heide, K. Regarding ethnicity, Hispanics were far less likely to kill theirparents than whites or blacks. Thesample size of victims was 1,368 fathers, 887 mothers, 562 stepfathers, and54 stepmothers. Almost two-thirds of juvenilesin the New York sample had co-defendants. In 1989, the firearm homicide rate for persons 15 to 19years of age in metropolitan counties was five times higher than the ratein nonmetropolitan counties. 533). About 4 percent of the deaths occurred by gun shot, 25 percent, by stabbing, 7percent by beating, 5 percent by strangulation, and the remainder byalternate methods. Journal of Psychiatric Nursing, pp. African-American males in the same age bracket are at highest risk.The homicide rate for young African-American males is 85 homicides per1 , persons (U.S. U.S. Hispanic participation in parricide rangedfrom a low of three percent (stepmother as victim) to a high of six percent(father as victim). Stepparents were morelikely to be slain by adolescents than natural parents: 34 percent ofstepfathers were victims of offenders under 18 years and 3 percent ofstepmothers were murdered by their children under 18. Current estimates of the percentage of homicides that involve gunsvary. Congress. (1993, December). (1994b). Juvenile crackcocaine dealers report earnings averaging $1 , per week. 8). The circumstances involving the parricides in the above studywere also analyzed. The confrontation between offender and victim waseither classed as a blitz assault or a confidence assault. 296). Ifa fight breaks out on the school grounds, the difference of opinion islikely to be settled with superior firepower instead of fists. Congress. Caught in the crossfire: Kids Talk AboutGuns. Other youths perceive guns as status symbols. As one expert puts it, "The childabuse and victimization literature documents that child victims oftensuffer from fear of death or serious injury and have altered perceptionsthat might lead them to believe they have no possibility of escaping theabusive environment" (Berliner, 1993, p. Sociologists also blame violence in the media as a contributingfactor for the increase in homicides committed by adolescents. Exposure to familial violence tends to breed violent behavior inchildren. A survey of Seattle,Washington high school students found that 34 percent reported having easyaccess to handguns and almost 7 percent reported owning a gun (U.S.Congress, 1993, p. 1 3rd Congress, 2nd session. 539). Congress,1994a, p. 7). TV Guide reports aviolent incident is shown, on average, every 6 minutes" (U.S. Parricides were analyzed by thefollowing categories: fathers, mothers, stepfathers, and stepmothers. Further, children who residein violent homes are at greater risk of becoming victims of physicalassault themselves. The luriddepiction of murder and mayhem broadcast on a daily basis taints youngminds. Between 1965 and 199 juvenile arrests for murder increased 332percent (U.S. 5-6.) The inability of the parents to maintain adequate parental controlover their offspring is indicated by the high rate of truancy, delinquency,and substance abuse in the sample of juvenile offenders. The percentage of blacks who killed their parentsranged from a low of 25 percent with mother as victim and 39 percent crimesagainst stepfathers. Congress. Reducing the incidence of homicides by juvenilesmust start in the family and in the community. U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms(ATF) issued or renewed 91, licenses for gun dealers (U.S. The typical offender was White and non-Hispanic. Each day 4 children are killed or injured by guns. According toGrant et al. Brawls due to alcohol and argumentsover money/property were cited as circumstances in a relatively smallpercentage of cases (Heide, 1993, p. A definite relationship existed between the race of the offender andthe incidence of parricide. Keeping every child safe: Curbing theepidemic of violence. 4-11. Washington: GPO.----------------------- 1 Typically, the victims are other juveniles. Over 4 percent of urban males reportedhaving their lives threatened compared with less than 2 percent of middle-to-upper income males (U.S. Cause-specificmurders were those which involved the self-intent of the offender andincluded self-defense, mercy killings, family disputes, and psychoticgratification. Children who are exposed toparental conflict find themselves caught in the crossfire: "The immediateimpact of this exposure is traumatic--fear for self, fear for the parent,and self-blame" (U.S. Repeated andsevere violence is estimated to occur in one in every 14 marriages.Consequently, much media and psychological attention has been focusedrecently on the battered-woman syndrome. 532). The subjective perceptionof imminent danger has been extended to prove self-defense in cases wherethe battered-woman syndrome is present and some sociologists contend that asimilar situation exists for children. Senate Committee on the Judiciary.Washington: GPO. (1992). The reasons for youths carrying weapons to school varies. 1 3rd Congress, 1st session. 35). TheUnited States is the most violent country in the world. Congress,1994b, p. Some juvenile victims of child abuse commit murder in self defense.Children who kill their abusers often do so because they believe that theyare in danger of imminent death or serious harm. The availability of guns is one of the factors cited in the increasein homicides by juveniles. Less than 11 percentlived in households with both parents present, either biological parents orfoster parents. . Congress, 1992, p. The economic class and social status of the offender played asignificant role in the incidence of homicides by juveniles. Almost 7 percent of homicides reported to the FBI involved firearmsand the rate of firearms-related deaths for 15- to 19-year-olds of allraces increased by almost 15 percent between 1985 and 199 (U.S. The majority of the murderscommitted by juveniles in the New York study were blitz assault (87percent). When should children be allowed to killabusers? Mones (1993) points outthat battered women benefit from a grassroots support system that does notexist for abused children who kill their parents (p. Journal ofInterpersonal Violence, pp. The high rate of divorceand remarriage in American society suggests that juveniles willincreasingly be placed in households in which stepparents reside. 64). The majority of juvenile offenders were accompanied or abetted byanother juvenile when the murders occurred. (1993). Guns are becoming as ubiquitous in the nation's schools as bookbags.An estimated 1 , children carry guns to school each day. Congress, 1993, p. 5). Juveniles commit murder at an alarming rate in the UnitedStates. Almost 5 percent of the youths wereblack, almost 33 percent Hispanic, and almost 13 percent white. The widespread use of guns among teenage drug dealers isunderstandable given the violent nature of the drug trade. There were noindications that the incidence of parricide increased over the ten-yearperiod of the study (Heide, 1993, p. this group of homicidal juveniles tend to bemale from a household of two or more siblings where the mother is thedominant caretaker and is alone in the process of child rearing" (p. However, the Center for Disease Control analyzed data collected from1984 through 1987 and concluded that 8 percent of all homicides werefirearms-related and that guns accounted for 96 percent of the increase inthe homicide rate for African-American males (U.S. Although many argue that criminals do not buy guns fromlegitimate dealers, ATF statistics indicate that corruption is so rampantin the firearms trade that unscrupulous dealers routinely supply arsenalsto convicted felons, drug dealers, and gang members. A clear relationship exists between gender and parricide offender.Murderers of parents are overwhelmingly male. Some carryweapons for protection. Asian andother racial categories accounted for 2.4 percent and 2.4 percentrespectively (Grant et al., 1989, p. government spends billions of dollars annually tofund programs that serve the needs of at-risk youth, juvenile violencecontinues to escalate. The mean age was 14.7years (Grant et al., 1989, p. (1989) conclude,"An armed juvenile with a co-defendant suggests a blitz encounter with alethal outcome" (p. Although gun violenceis most prevalent in urban areas, it is not uncommon in suburban and upper-income locales. Congress, 1992, p. The weapon of choice for youths involved in violence is firearms. A general desensitization for human life and the values of anorderly society occurs: "Violent acts are the daily fare of millions ofchildren who watch TV an average of 21 hours per week. In the overwhelming majority of cases, other argumentsand other (not felony) were the causes of homicide in 83 percent of thecases involving fathers, 84 percent involving stepfathers, and 78 percentinvolving mothers and stepmothers. Juveniles who murder: Insights forintervention. . The fact that stepparents are more likely to be slain by juvenilesthan biological parents raises cause for concern. In 1991 alone, the U.S. Congress, 1993, p. 7). 5). Since 198 , the number of firearms dealers inthe United States has increased from 112, to over 286, by 1994. According to Grant et al. A variety of weapons were used by the youths in this study. A case was recently reportedwhere a 5-year-old brought a gun to school. Grant et al. 298). (1994a). (1993, June). U.S. In a blitzassault the victim was taken by surprise. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, pp. A study by Northeastern Universityfound that between 1985 to 1991, murder arrests for 15 year-olds, 16 year-olds, and 17 year-olds skyrocketed 217 percent, 158 percent, and 121percent, respectively. It should be noted again that this study examined only singlevictim, single offender crimes and excludes all other parricide crimes,e.g., double murders and murders involving co-defendants. This study examined homicides in which singlevictims were slain by single offenders. Evidence of thedeterioration of the family units of these youthful offenders is indicatedby the high rate of divorce, separation, or never married status of theparents estimated at 14 percent, 28 percent, and 28 percent, respectively(Grant et al., 1989, pp. 5). (1993, June). (1989), " . A siginficant relationship existed between the race and the juvenileoffenders in the New York study. Although the U.S. Gundealers outnumber gas stations-- for every 1, Americans there is one gundealer. Parents who get killed and the childrenwho kill them. Congress, 1992, p. Youth violence prevention. They generally fallbetween 25 and 35 percent" (U.S. The murders were classifiedusing the FBI's homicide classification system according to two categories:criminal enterprise and cause specific. The increasing tendency of juvenilesto bear weapons paints an alarming scenario that suggests the incidence ofstepparent homicide may occur with greater frequency in the future. 36). 531-544. The rare incidence of Hispanic parricide is notablegiven the fact that during the 1 -year period of study 22 percent of alljuvenile arrests involved homicides committed by Hispanics (Heide, 1993, p.542). Congress, 1993, p. 17). 297-299. Although family structurecannot be used as a single variable to adequately describe the complexsocial network context that contributes to homicidal behavior in juveniles,it is a contributing factor of some significance. Congress, 1992, p.5). A study of publicly availablenational homicide data collected from 1977 to 1986 involving parricideoffenses indicated that at least 98 percent were classified as murder(Heide, 1993, p. Consequently, whereasthe thoughts of young people in generations past centered on proms,college, or sports, today's youth are preoccupied with personal safety,particularly in high-crime, urban areas. 1 2nd Congress,2nd session. Sociologistsconclude that firearms in the home endanger not only the entire family, butsociety as well: "A firearm in the home raises the risk of suicide five-fold, the risk of homicide three-fold, and in families with a history ofdomestic violence, it raises the risk of homicide twenty-fold" (U.S.Congress, 1994a, p. References Berliner, L. Although parricide is not uncommon, the actual number of parentsslain by their juvenile offspring is relatively low. Often, thegun that is carried to school belongs to the youth's parents. Murder in the family is not uncommon. If this paper is not what you are looking for, you can search again: Search for: or Click here to request an essay written just for you.