Teenage Murderers

[Rockslinger]

Maybe I am dating myself but there seems to be a lot of teenage murderers (and victims) now than I remember when I was a teenager (in the Dark Ages). Example: Jacques Amakon (18) kills a 16 year old. Example: Jordan Manners killed by a teenager. Example: Drew Brown (18) kills his GF's mother and sister. Example: Kelly "What a Rack" Ellard was a teenager when she killed a young girl. Example: Stephanie Rengel was killed by a teenager egged on by another teenager.

Why is this happening?

 

[Cycleguy007]

We reap what we sow...

 

[Huron]

I suspect you're just suffering from nostalgia. From the statistics that I've seen, crime has declined since the dark ages.

 

[Aardvark154]

For a particularly horrific case of bullying, betrayal and suicide involving teenagers:

http://www.bostonherald.com/news/regional/view.bg?articleid=1243175&pos=breaking

 

[Rockslinger]

For a particularly horrific case of bullying, betrayal and suicide involving teenagers

Even in the "Dark Ages" there were always cases of bullying (maybe not so severe) but teenagers commiting murder was unheard of and students getting shot and knifed to death never happened. Maybe the young ones are more vicious to-day and have less regard for huiman life.

Why is that? Is it the parents' (you?) fault?

 

[Plan B]

Its all about demographics, Rockslinger...there were a lot of kids born from the early 80s to the mid 90s...these kids fit the age demographic of your examples...if there are more young people in one cohort, then there is more crime...In the 70s there was a lot of crime..because there were so many baby boomers who were in their teens and twenties.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Generation_Y

 

[5hummer]

I'm surprised that there isn't more!

Economic environments and bullying, etc.

 

[Viggo Rasmussen]

Drugs, parents who don't give a shit and neglect or abuse their kids, drugs, toxic environment and diets, drugs, the right to bear arms, drugs, television and video zombies, drugs...

 

[Aardvark154]

Even in the "Dark Ages" there were always cases of bullying (maybe not so severe) but teenagers commiting murder was unheard of and students getting shot and knifed to death never happened. Maybe the young ones are more vicious to-day and have less regard for huiman life.

This wasn't your garden variety 'I don't like the way you dress' bullying (which can be bad enough) in the above case they might as well have murdered her, and the charges reflect that.

 

[Aardvark154]

Drugs, parents who don't give a shit and neglect or abuse their kids, drugs, toxic environment and diets, drugs, the right to bear arms, drugs, television and video zombies, drugs...

Add to that a culture where today if neighbor disciplined a child the parents aren't asking the child "what did you do to make the neighbor have to do this," but rather all set to file suit against the neighbor for "traumatizing" their precious little darling.

 

[Asterix]

I think most of the reason is cultural. Kids are exposed to things in the media and internet I wouldn't have dreamed of when I was growing up. Plus the drugs available are entirely different.

 

[wet_suit_one]

Do any of you have any facts supporting the view that teenage murders are greater now than in the past? Any studies of murders done in the past as compared to today?

One study I saw, stated that in the 1800's, Britain's murder rate was about 100 times greater than it is today (i.e. 100 murders per 100,000 people as compared to todays 1-2 / 100,000 people).

Any facts to support your fear mongering or is it just mongering? Headlines are just that, headlines. DOn't be sucked in by the media and their "if it bleeds it leads" ethos. Your sense of reality may end up being really screwed up by this.

 

[Rockslinger]

Do any of you have any facts supporting the view that teenage murders are greater now than in the past? Any studies of murders done in the past as compared to today?

Not sure about any studies but we can track murders this year as a current example. Offhand I can remember two very quickly.
1) Dean Brown (18) kills GF mother and sister.
2) Jacques Amakon (18) kills 16 year old Michael McDonald.
3) I hate to say this but almost all "B on B" murders involve very young killers and victims.

BTW Stats from 1800's Britain are skewed because the life expectancy was only 40 so most murderers would likely be very young.