NCJ Number
60814
Journal
Monatsschrift fuer Kriminologie und Strafrechtsreform Volume: 61 Issue: 5 Dated: (OCTOBER 1978) Pages: 328-337
Date Published
1978
Length
10 pages
Annotation
THIRTY PSYCHIATRIC EXAMINATIONS OF OFFENDERS UNDER THE AGE OF CRIMINAL RESPONSIBILITY PROVIDE DISCUSSION FOR THE ECONOMICAL AND CRIMINOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF CHILD ARSON.
Abstract
CHILDREN BETWEEN THE AGES OF 7 AND 14 ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR NEARLY 20 PERCENT OF ALL ACTS OF ARSON COMMITTED IN WEST GERMANY. A STATISTICAL ANALYSIS EXAMINES 30 CHILD ARSONISTS WHO RECEIVED PSYCHIATRIC TREATMENT BETWEEN 1968 AND 1977 AND COMPARES THE DATA TO A CONTROL GROUP OF 30 JUVENILE LARCENISTS. THE MAJORITY OF ARSONS WAS COMMITTED BY 7 TO 9 YEAR-OLD CHILDREN DURING VACATION, FREE AFTERNOONS AND EVENINGS. TARGETS OF THE FIRE WERE MOST FREQUENTLY BARNS; USUALLY THE DAMAGE AMOUNTED TO 75,000 TO 200,000 DM. ALL OF THE CHILDREN WERE MEMBERS OF THE MIDDLE AND LOWER CLASSES AND HAD FEWER PROBLEMS (DIVORCED PARENTS, EXCEPTIONAL STRICTNESS OF THE PARENTS) THAN THEIR PEERS IN THE CONTROL GROUP OF LARCENISTS. ACCORDING TO THE PSYCHIATRIC EXAMINATIONS AND PARENTS' REPORTS, THE ARSONISTS' PERSONALITIES WERE CHARACTERIZED BY A LACK OF SOCIAL CONTACTS, AGGRESSIVENESS, HYPERSENSITIVITY, AND TIMOROUS OR CHILDISH BEHAVIOR. HOWEVER, 80 PERCENT OF THE GROUP HAD NO DETECTABLE PHYSICAL OR NEUROLOGICAL DEFECTS. AN ANALYSIS OF THE OFFENDERS' MOTIVES SHOWS THAT ONLY 13 PERCENT WILLFULLY CAUSED THE CONFLAGRATION. THE REST HAD NO INTENTION OF CAUSING A BLAZE; THEY HAD SET A FIRE 'FOR FUN,' OUT OF ANGER, CURIOSITY, OR A DESIRE TO SHOW OFF. CONTRARY TO THE CONTROL GROUP, THE RECIDIVISM RATE OF CHILD ARSONISTS IS SO LOW THAT A SINGLE OFFENSE DOES NOT WARRANT A PROGNOSIS OF FUTURE CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR. ALSO, ARSONISTS ARE RARELY SUBJECTED TO THE KIND OF SOCIAL STIGMATIZATION THAT THE LARCENISTS EXPERIENCE. IT IS CONCLUDED THAT CHILD ARSONISTS USUALLY ACT OUT OF NONCRIMINAL IMPULSES WHICH ARE CHARACTERISTIC OF THEIR AGE; THE BEST PREVENTION OF ARSON IS TO INSTRUCT A CHILD IN THE RESPONSIBLE HANDLING OF FIRE. A SHORT BIBLIOGRAPHY IS APPENDED. --IN GERMAN. (SAJ)