| The problem. Despite decades of research on the subject of kids who kill, contradictory findings abound and many questions still exist about what can be known about this phenomenon. The purpose of this study was to critically review the literature from the 1990s on the subject of homicidal adolescents.;Method. Literature for the decades of the 20th century preceding the 1990s was briefly summarized as background for the problem. The literature for the 1990s was critically reviewed from the viewpoint of 5 variables: theoretical approaches, outcomes, treatment, at-risk factors, and common characteristics among perpetrators.;Results. Many findings from research preceding the 1990s were contradicted by later research, leading to questionable results. Methodological problems continue to complicate the research efforts. Research from the perspective of several variables is sparse, while other variables have been often studied with differing results. Studies on outcomes and treatment are lacking, while studies on at-risk factors and commonalities among perpetrators abound. Theoretical approaches are limited, for the most part, to psychoanalytic theories. Differences in subcategories of adolescent homicides, such as sexual murders, parricides, infanticides, and gang killings, may suggest the need to study these categories separately. Suggestions for further research are offered. |
