A study of firesetting and animal cruelty in children: family influences and adolescent outcomes.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate relationships among family risk factors, childhood firesetting and animal cruelty, and adolescent delinquency.


METHODS
In 1990, mothers and children participating in a 10-year prospective study provided information about family risk factors and childhood problem behavior. Subsequent interviews with 86% of the sample in 1996 and 1998 and court record reviews in 2000 provided information about juvenile delinquency.


RESULTS
Marital violence (odds ratio [OR] 2.4, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.1-5.4), paternal pet abuse (OR 2.4, CI = 1.0-5.6), and paternal drinking (r = 0.14) were related to firesetting, whereas exposure to marital violence (OR 2.3, CI = 1.0-5.1) and paternal (r = 0.19) and maternal harsh parenting (r = 0.14) were associated with animal cruelty. Regression analyses indicated that after controlling for conduct disorder, firesetters were 3.0 times (CI = 1.3-6.7) at risk of juvenile court referral and 3.3 times (CI = 1.4-7.6) at risk of arrest for a violent crime. Analysis of self-reports of delinquency replicated these results. Animal cruelty was related to self-reported violent crime (beta = 0.16).


CONCLUSIONS
These findings indicate that family variables increase the likelihood of childhood firesetting and animal cruelty and that these behaviors are related to adolescent delinquency.
Becker
Kimberly D
KD
Program for Prevention Research, Arizona State University, USA.
Stuewig
Jeffrey
J
Herrera
Veronica M
VM
McCloskey
Laura A
LA
D000827:Animal Welfare / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002648:Child; D002650:Child Abuse, Sexual / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015897:Comorbidity; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D005391:Firesetting Behavior / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D007604:Juvenile Delinquency / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D009034:Mother-Child Relations; D016487:Parenting; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors