Are Kids Who Kill Victims or Offenders - Essay Example

Lassiter (1998) believes that by analyzing motivations, categorizing traits and an emphasis of situations juvenile killers can be of certain broad types. There are the Gang killers, these are kids who grow up in an environment of violence and hence learn to adapt violent reactions in their daily lives. Fifteen year old Willie Bosket, who had committed over two thousand crimes in New York which included stabbing several people with the intention to kill, was such a child (Katherine Ramsland). Debra Niehof, a neuroscientist, with her research on the connection between violence and the brain suggests “that violence is the result of a developmental process, a lifelong interaction between the brain and the environment.

" Her research leads us to conclude that these kids are merely acting out patterns that they have picked on from their environment. The next category is that of kids who kill members of their family intentionally. They are pressurized, abused, hated, neglected and do so for the desire to gain. A famous example is that of a fourteen year old Chinese boy who killed his family, stabbing his mother, father and grandfather multiple times simply because he believed he was not well taken care of. Cult killings rise mostly because of adolescent association to satanic symbols and the firm and clandestine connection the kids perceive to have with another world.

16 year- old Roderick Ferrell killed his girlfriend’s parents so that he could steal their car and provide a ride for the members of his vampire cult. This association with the cult is so strong that it envelops the child into believing that he has a license to kill, rob property or damage. The media-inspired violence falls within the formation of these cults, according to Glorio DeGaetano, with the techniques of social reinforcement used on kids that pertains to the onset of their fanatical notions.

Pathology plays a key role in determining the motivation of a juvenile killer. Sam Manzie was fifteen when he raped and strangled eleven year old Eddie Werner. Upon investigation it was seem how he had been the victim of a child abuser and had hence developed signs of serious mental illness. The depression and paranoid schizophrenia due to being undiagnosed resulted in his actions (Clark, C. S. 1993). Sexual killers face similar symptoms however their actions hinge more towards a sexual assault of their victims.

School killers act due to some perceived wrong done to them. Bullying plays a critical role in activating the onset of their rage (Greenya, 2001). Michael Carneal, a classic example, who was constantly picked on and taunted one day got a gun and decided to act out. He ended up killing three students. Another category is that of killings committed during another crime. Killing is not the main intention of this type however the situation escalates into one that involves murder. Fifteen year old Sandy Shaw lured a twenty four year old into the Nevada desert with the intention to rob him however the crime resulted in the victim being shot six times.

Hate crimes that children indulge in are a by product of anger and hate and pent up rage. According to Tru Crime Library, two boys, 17 and 14 shot a gay man in the head and ran him over repeatedly only so they could brag to