Aggressive and Non-Aggressive Juvenile Fire Setters

By: Kathryn Seifert
Submitted: 2007-01-17 16:26:34
Print this article | Tell a friend | For publisher | Social Bookmarking
Rating:
 

A study by Stickle and Blechman (Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment, 2002) found that fire setting was associated with early onset severe and varied antisocial behaviors among juveniles. A new study by Seifert examined the characteristics of a group of 153 fire setters. Fire setters were defined as youth who set fires that are not of a utilitarian nature and may have a risk of harm to others.

There appear to be two groups of fire setters: aggressive and non-aggressive. Aggressive youth are those who have hit, pushed or shoved another person that is not in self defense and causes some level of distress to the victim. Non-aggressive fire setters do not have a history of hitting others. The non-aggressive group appear to have more psychiatric problems, while the aggressive group are similar to the severe behavior problem group with multiple problems and childhood trauma. The aggressive fire setters ranged in age from 6 to 19 (average age was 14), while the non-aggressive fire setters ranged in age from 8 to 16 (average age was 13).

Among the aggressive fire setters, all had a history of moderate to severe behavior problems and assaultive behaviors, 97% had behavior problems that began before the age of 13, 87% had one or more parents not involved in the child’s life, 86% had poor social skills, 83% had a history of family violence, 82% had a history of childhood trauma, and 76% were delinquent. For the non-aggressive fore setter group 94% had a history of moderate to severe behavior problems, 89% had poor social skills, 89% had anger management problems, 83% were impulsive, 74% had moderate to severe behavior problems before the age of 13, 72% had average or better IQ, and 72% had psychosis or self harm.

Looking at the characteristics of these two groups, it becomes clear that the intervention strategies may be different for youth in aggressive vs non-aggressive patterns. The aggressive group has more trauma and histories of family violence. Therefore therapy would need to address any ongoing home violence or trauma and use techniques to help the youth heal from past trauma, including domestic violence. Both groups have some social skill deficits and cognitive behavioral treatment for skill building would be appropriate. The non-aggressive fire setter may have more psychiatric problems and will need a psychiatric evaluation, especially for psychosis, self harm and impulsivity. The majority of both groups had average or better intellectual functioning, but examination of how they are doing in school is always appropriate.

In conclusion, as in most groups of behaviorally disordered youth, comorbidity, family, and trauma issues need to be examined in order to provide the most effective therapy. An effective assessment on the front end can save time and trouble later on. Early intervention (before the age of 12) is of primary importance.

Dr. Kathryn Seifert is a psychotherapist with over 30 years experience in mental health, addictions, and criminal justice work. Dr. Seifert has authored the CARE, guided imagery CD’s and journals, and numerous articles. She speaks nationally on health related topics and youth violence. She is an expert witness in the areas of youth and adult violence and sexual offending. Her latest book is coming soon: Fallen Angels. For more information go to http://www.drkathyseifert.com

Article source: Expert Articles

Most Recent Articles in Psychology category

  • Getting the Most Out of Therapy: How to Collaborate With Your Therapist - By: Steven Frankel, M.D.
    If you are in therapy, you and your therapist have already invested a significant amount of time and energy into your work, and you both have the same goal in mind: helping you achieve your own objectives for emotional growth and healing. If and when a difference of opinion over the treatment does occur, rather than walking away from your therapist, it is usually well worth the effort try to find a collaborative way to again go forward.
  • Colors in Dreams and Their Meaning - By: Daniel Zoleta
    Dream interpretation is the process of assigning meaning to dreams. In many of the ancient societies, including Egypt and Greece, dreaming was considered a supernatural communication or a means of divine intervention, whose message could be unravelled by those with certain powers. In modern times, various schools of psychology have offered theories about the meaning of dreams.
  • Boost Your IQ: Techniques to Increase Your Intelligence Quotient Today - By: Evgheny Stivenson
    It is possible to enhance your intelligence quotient in a matter of 10 minutes. Some techniques to do so are discussed below. Don't you want to enhance your IQ? Of course, you can use the brain power exercises and techniques. But these are long term and you would need to regularly practice them. What if you want to boost your IQ now, when you don't have more than 10 minutes.
  • Online Psychology Programs - By: Mary Jackson
    Students pursuing psychology online degrees learn about the human mind and behavior and its biological, social and cognitive bases, as well how to apply this knowledge to practical problems. Student enrolled in online psychology programs can choose to specialize in areas of psychology such as educational, child, clinical, sport, forensic, industrial, organizational, social and marriage and family therapy.
  • Toronto Psychologist and Psychoanalyst - By: Sandra Palef
    If you want to get an idea of what psychotherapy is all about, watch an episode of the television series The Sopranos. Tony Soprano is a mafia don in New Jersey who is in talk therapy with Dr. Jennifer Melfi. He has panic attacks, loses consciousness, and has slipped into a depression. All of this seems irrational to him, but he can’t help it. He has some hidden agenda lying just outside his awareness that is controlling his feelings and behavior. He doesn’t believe in therapy at the start, convinced he cannot talk about himself and that it won’t help anyway. He resists, evading Dr. Melfi’s questions, withdrawing, and even walking out. But eventually he is intrigued.
  • Magic Happens When Eternity Meets Linear Time in Dream Work - By: Ron Masa, Ph.D.
    Even if you're speeding around town, frantically running late, your dog in the back seat is perfectly on time; centered in the Now.I once thought "eternity" meant: Tuesday, Wednesday, etc. forever.
  • One Dream Interprets Another to Predict the U.S. Mid-Term Election Results - By: Ron Masa, Ph.D.
    Dreams come from wherever we do. They regularly predict the future and they link people together in the world of dreams. In the following case one dream even arrived to interpret another dream!
  • Dream Telepathy: Some Dream Workers Make Late Night House Calls - By: Ron Masa, Ph.D.
    "Not until a person dissolves, can he or she know what union is." -RumiNothing seems more obvious than that every human being is a distinct and separate entity. America champions the rights of the individual and self-determination.
  • Female Violence: Speak Softly but Carry a Big Stick - By: Kathryn Seifert
    The future well-being of a society is directly linked to its ability to care for and educate its young. Families that cannot successfully care for their young, nurture the seeds of future violence and criminality. Until we learn this, we will continue to build more prisons at a much higher cost than treatment or prevention.
  • Psychopathic Personality: The Absence of Conscience - By: William L. Smith Ph. D.
    Elie Wiesel, the 1986 Nobel Peace Prize winner and Nazi hunter, said "to defeat them, first we must understand them." For most of us the idea of a psychopath conjures up images from movies like "Silence of The Lambs" and characters with names like "Hannibal Lector." However, characters such as Hannibal is a fantasy, he is the creation of the author.