Interpersonal Determinants of the Functioning of Juvenile Homicide Offenders
Abstract
Interpersonal Determinants of the Functioning of Juvenile Homicide Offenders The commission of a crime is generally attributed to adults; however, as both Polish and international literature on the subject indicates, such acts are also committed by minors and juveniles. Given that homicide is, by nature, an interpersonal act, our research interest focused specifically on this aspect of the functioning of juvenile homicide offenders. Based on available data, an analysis was undertaken to examine differences in interpersonal functioning between juveniles who do not violate legal norms and juvenile homicide offenders. Differences in interpersonal functioning were also examined within the group of juvenile offenders. For this purpose, the Interpersonal Attitudes Scale (IAS), the Empathic Sensitivity Scale (ESS), Shalit’s “Circle” Perception Style Questionnaire, and a custom survey developed for the purposes of this study were used. The conducted research revealed that, compared to the non-offending youth group, juvenile homicide offenders display hostility and a lack of kindness in interpersonal relationships; however, this is not driven by a desire to dominate others. Analyses conducted within the group of offenders showed that juveniles who commit brutal crimes and display distrust and aggression toward others tend to use a defense mechanism in the form of devaluation of the victim. This mechanism allows them to distance themselves from responsibility, which they tend to attribute to their environment, including the characteristics of the murdered individual. The results highlight the importance of diagnosing the area of interpersonal functioning in the context of designing appropriate resocialization or therapeutic interventions.
Keywords
Juvenile homicide offenders; Interpersonal functioning; Homicide
University of Gdańsk, University of Zielona Góra Poland
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0561-6125
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