Homicidally aggressive young children: neuropsychiatric and experiential correlates

Abstract

Of 55 children admitted to a children''s psychiatric service, 21 were homicidally aggressive. Psychiatric symptoms and diagnoses did not distinguish these children from the nonhomicidal children, but the homicidally aggressive children were significantly more likely to have a father who behaved violently, often homicidally; have had a seizure; have attempted suicide; and have a mother who had been hospitalized for a psychiatric disorder. Explanations for the contribution of these factors to juvenile violence are explored.