NCJ Number
207606
Date Published
May 2005
Length
8 pages
Annotation
This report outlines existing research and theories related to juvenile firesetting and recommends strategies in the prevention of juvenile firesetting.
Abstract
As a result of work conducted by the National Association of State Fire Marshals (NASFM) in 2002, this report, funded by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office for Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention provides a structure to frame existing research and theoretical formulations of juvenile firesetting behavior, identifies gaps in current knowledge about juvenile firesetting, and proposes a set of empirical questions pertinent to the professional communities for researchers to address. Directions for future research are recommended in the areas of a national juvenile firesetter survey, a firesetting classification system, and identifying and evaluating promising intervention and treatment programs. Juvenile firesetting is a serious and persistent problem. Enlisting the aid of the research community will help the field to better understand how and why juvenile firesetting occurs, to determine the types of juveniles involved in firesetting, and to establish the best practices to combat it. References