The Epidemiological Characteristics Of Adolescent Murderous Ideation And Behaviors And Its Relationship With Childhood Adverse Experiences

Objectives To describe the epidemiological characteristics of adolescent murderous ideation and behaviors in Anhui Province,and to explore the relationship between childhood adverse experiences and murderous related psychological behaviours.Methods Three public middle schools and three public high schools were recruited from three cities in Anhui Province(i.e.,Tongling,Chuzhou,and Fuyang).One public middle school and one public high school was randomly selected in each city,and about 320 students were selected from each grade in each of those schools.A total of 5726 students from 7th to 12 th grade were investigated,and the data about adolescent characteristics and murderous ideation and behaviors and childhood adverse experiences were collected using the self-administered questionnaire--Adolescent Health Questionnaire Survey in Anhui Province.Results Among these 5 726 adolescents,the prevalence rates of murderous ideation,murderous plan,murderous preparation,and attempt murder were 9.9%,2.8%,1.3%,0.6%,respectively.There are significant differences between gender,grade,number of friends,appearance and all murderous ideation and behaviors(P < 0.001);students having poor relationship with both parents were more likely to have murderous ideation and murderous plan(P < 0.001);student with self-reported poor academic performance were more likely to have murderous ideation,murderous plan,and murderous preparation(P < 0.001).Gender differences were existed in all kinds of adverse childhood experiences(P<0.001).Students being bullied(verbal,relationship,physical)were more likely to report all murderous ideation and behaviors(P<0.001),and those three types of childhood victimization experiences were all risk factors for murderous ideation(P<0.05).The differences between child abuse and neglect,that is,verbal,relationship,and physical,and all murderous ideation and behaviors were statistically significant(P<0.001),and those three forms of childhood maltreatment were risk factors of murderous ideation(P<0.05).Similarly,the differences between childhood separation with parents and murderous attempt were significant(P<0.05),and separation with mother during childhood was risk factor for murderous attempt(P< 0.05).There were significant difference between childhood adverse life events in family and murderous ideation and behaviors(P < 0.05).The differences between childhood adverse life events in school and murderous ideation,murderous plan,and murderous attempt were significant(P<0.05).Childhood adverse life events in family were risk factors of murderous ideation,including one to two times and three times or more(P<0.05).Three times or more childhood adverse life events in family were risk factors of murderous attempt,and four times or more childhood adverse life events in school were risk factors of murderous ideation,murderous plan,and murderous attempt(P < 0.05).Multivariate logistic regressions were performed with the adjustment for all characteristics that were statistically significance in the univariate analyses,we set murderous ideation,plan,preparation,and attempt as outcome variables,respectively,with childhood victimization experiences,child abuse and neglect,childhood separation with parents and adverse childhood life events as predictors.Childhood emotional abuse,sex abuse,childhood bully,and four times or more childhood adverse life events in school were risk factors of murderous ideation(P < 0.05).Sex abuse,emotional neglect,and being childhood physically bullied in childhood were all risk factors of murderous plan(P < 0.05).Childhood physical victimization experience was risk factor of murderous preparation(P < 0.05).Both childhood sex abuse and physical neglect were risk factors of murderous attempt(P<0.05).Conclusions Adolescent murderous ideation and behaviors have been a relatively severe phenomenon,thus great attention need to be paid.Additionally,the prevalence of murderous ideation and behaviors were different in different demographic characteristics of the adolescents.Childhood victimization experiences,child abuse and neglect,childhood separation with parents and adverse childhood life events were all risk factors for adolescent murderous ideation and behaviors.Therefore,different intervention strategies should be adopted aiming at different characteristics of the adolescent students.