Arson and Youth

Paper Summary:

This paper explains that, when examining fire-setting by children and adolescents, it is important to distinguish between fires set intentionally and fires accidentally set because so many children play with fire, especially between the ages of three and five, that many psychologists consider it normal childhood behavior. The author points out that research suggests a variety of factors associated with arson behavior in youths: desire to exert power over adults; an extreme expression of antisocial behavior; other aggressive behaviors, including lying, stealing, vandalism, and sexual offenses; and broad-ranging deficits in social skills. The paper reports that some programs that focus on correcting the lack of effective discipline in the youth?s dysfunctional family have been able to reduce the incidence of repeat fire-setting behavior.

From the Paper:

"Other examples provided by Coleman et. al. do not show any likely causes from early childhood. One boy reported that he went into a brother's room, took his Game Boy and found a lighter. He then set his own curtains on fire "just to see how it would burn." He then went to church where he used toilet paper to start a fire both in a restroom and outside in a trash receptacle. He showed interest in both increasing thrills and in watching people's reactions: he threw the lighter into the outside fire and enjoyed watching it explode. He then enjoyed talking to people about the bathroom fire. Eventually he admitted to starting both fires, but since he showed no remorse, the researchers might wonder whether he also used the fires to draw attention to himself."

More papers on Arson and Youth:

• Article Review # 130423 : "Marketing and Youth Culture"
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• Analytical Essay # 132548 : "North American Non-Urban Areas and Youth Gangs"

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