José Rabadán was 16 years old and killed his parents and his mentally handicapped sister with a katana, because he thought that this way he could make his life peaceful. Raquel and Iria, 17 and 16, killed a classmate because they wanted to discover what it felt like to kill and become known.
Javier Rosado, 21, along with a 17-year-old friend, killed a randomly selected passerby. “El Nano”, 13, killed a 10-year-old friend with a stone, because the latter had insulted him. Antonio Molina, 14, threw his 6-year-old stepsister down a water distribution pipe where she died of asphyxiation, because he was jealous of her. Enrique Cornejo and Antonio Aguilar, both 16 years old, raped and stabbed an 11-year-old boy.
Murderous children: data and explanation from Psychology
Although each case is unique and each author had different reasons for carrying them out, they all have common elements: The crimes were committed by minors and took place in Spain
Of course, those mentioned are not the only cases of murders carried out by minors that have occurred in the country; there are more, although these have gone down in history due to the violence carried out and the motivations of the perpetrators.
Why would a minor commit a crime of this magnitude?
It is chilling to think that from such an early age, minors can commit acts of such violence, such as that manifested in the cases described above, and the question we ask ourselves in the face of these events is: How can a minor experience such acts? of violence?
You may be interested in: “Psychopathic children: 5 cases of underage murderers”
Scientific evidence: from personality to emotional conflicts
Experts who study these violent phenomena allege various causes. Echeburúa relates two possible hypotheses in this regard, one of them defends extreme impulsivity caused by brain damage that affects the mechanisms that regulate behavior and the other refers to a biological or psychological vulnerability.
For his part, the professor at the University of Barcelona Antonio Andrés Pueyo alludes to personality and opportunity factors This author argues that in certain emotional situations a series of violent acts are triggered that can end in homicide without the desire to kill having previously mediated. Other theories affirm that the predictors that explain violence in general are also explanatory for cases in which murder or homicide occurs.
Some of these factors would be: perinatal factors, very rigid or permissive educational and parenting styles, not having developed a good attachment in early childhood, low self-control, poor academic performance, living in conflict areas, having antisocial attitudes, having been victims of mistreatment or sexual abuse in childhood, alcohol and drug consumption and psychological problems or disorders, such as: antisocial personality disorder or psychopathy.
Background psychological disorders
In the latter, psychological problems are supported by other theoretical currents that affirm that Psychological disorders are the factors that make the difference between those who kill and those who do not despite being exposed to the same risk factors (Farrington, 2012).
Other factors that have also been the object of observation are the temperament of minors, moral development, self-esteem, and the absence of empathy, although it should not be forgotten that an adequate and correct education can minimize the harmful effects that the environment and genetic predisposition they may have in the minor and thus reduce the predisposition to commit violent acts.
Fact: 54% of homicidal minors suffer from a personality disorder
A study carried out in Spain with children and adolescents convicted of homicide, provides very revealing data regarding this topic: 54% of those who had committed a homicide suffered from a personality disorder or antisocial behavior 4% had committed the murder under the effects of a psychotic break and the remaining 42% were normal boys and girls who lived in apparently normal families.
The conclusion to this phenomenon, as can be seen, is not clear and the literature we find on the matter is varied and refers to several factors that converge and trigger an act of extreme violence, such as homicide. Therefore, we cannot speak in isolation about opportunity for crime, psychological, genetic or environmental factors, but rather about the confluence of them. And always keep in mind, just as Heide concluded that child murderers tend to have a previous history of crimes or antisocial behavior
