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 1) have a
father who behaved violently, often homicidally, 2) have had a seizure, 3)
have attempted suicide, and 4) have a mother who had been hospitalized for
a psychiatric disorder. The authors explore explanations for the
contribution of these factors to juvenile violence.Abstract Teaser