The book explores more than a dozen factors that have contributed to the rise of juvenile homicide to epidemic proportions since the mid-1980s. These include the increase in child maltreatment, changes in the family structure, the absence of role models, the saturation of violence in American society, easy access to weapons, youths' increasing abuse of drugs and alcohol, and the rising number of children raised in poverty. These factors often interact with certain personality characteristics and biological influences, causing many youths to conclude that they have little or nothing to lose by engaging in reckless and destructive acts. Although the book focuses on boys who kill, it also discusses the increasing number of girls arrested for murder and examines gender issues in juvenile homicide. The book also discusses the legal response to juvenile murders, psychological assessment of offenders, treatment issues, and prevention strategies that aim to reduce the incidence of juvenile homicide. 372 references