NCJ Number
108760
Journal
Society Volume: 22 Dated: (November-December 1984) Pages: 78-83
Date Published
1984
Length
6 pages
Annotation
This discussion of juvenile fire setters covers statistics, causal factors, current research findings, and successful counseling programs for juvenile fire setters.
Abstract
FBI statistics show that juveniles between 13 and 19 account for 43 percent of all arson arrests, as well as a nationwide increase in juvenile fire setting. Most fire setting youths fall into two categories: those who are unaware of the consequences of their actions and those who set fires deliberately to cause damage, injury, or death. A review of the mental health research on fire setting notes that experts have found that such behavior among juveniles is often a reaction of otherwise normal individuals to extremely stressful situations in their lives. Research has also discovered that youthful fire setters tend to shift their targets from home to more distant places as they grow older and usually come from families with a high incidence of either absent or weak fathers. Furthermore, juvenile fire setting is frequently associated with other delinquent behavior. The article reviews five noteworthy juvenile fire setter counseling programs located in San Francisco; Dallas; Los Angeles County, Calif.; Mesa, Ariz.; and Prince Georges County, Md. Three offer in-house counseling provided by fire personnel, and most have been initiated in the last 10 years. The article examines school-centered arson and outlines preventive steps.