Arson

Running Head : Juvenile Arson

Juvenile Arson in the United States

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Juvenile Arson in the United States

Introduction

Juvenile delinquency has long been an issue in American society since the advent of the 20th century . Majority of the crimes associated with juvenile delinquency have been theft , assault , robbery and rape Unfortunately , the crimes of juvenile delinquents go far beyond this yet not much has is known about these . One such crime is juvenile arson While there have been a lot of literature regarding

arson in general not much has been written regarding juvenile arson . Therefore , this would present information on the magnitude of juvenile arson in the country , the characteristics and behavioral problems of a typical juvenile arsonist , the role of families and the legal system to the development of a juvenile arsonist , and the recent trends that had brought about juvenile arsonists . It will also present the various organizations involved in the quest against juvenile arson , the possible solutions presented by these organization and examples of various juvenile arson intervention programs

How Big is the Problem

In to fully comprehend the gravity of the issue of juvenile arson , arson as a crime must first be defined

The Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR ) Program of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI ) had defined arson as the willful and malicious act of burning any private or public structure , vehicle , or personal property (Federal Bureau of Investigation [FBI] 2004 . The purpose of setting these fires may range from trying to collect insurance money to just getting a thrill from the act . Such is the case with juvenile arsonists . Oftentimes , juvenile arsonists set fires for two reasons The first is that juveniles are curious about fires . Fires may be enticing and alluring , making this appealing for children . The second reason is that watching fires seem to have a calming effect on children and adolescents . As such , it becomes a means for them to deal with negative feelings and emotions (Reckless Dinitz 1972 Schneider 2001 This was the situation with an arrest made to a young teenager who had been charged with arson after setting fires . According to the juvenile his reason for setting fires was that he becomes depressed whenever his girlfriend bids him goodnight . In to alleviate himself from this he sets fires because whenever he does , he feels a sense of excitement and a warm feeling inside him (Tappan 1949

In the United States , arson and acts that are suspected to be linked with arson is considered as the primary cause of property damage another 15 million worth in vehicular damage (Prins 1994 . On top of this , arson fires have been linked to 535 deaths and 3 ,400 injuries in 1995 (Schneider 2001

Many have believed that because most , if not all , of those who have been convicted with committing arson do so in to claim insurance money , arsonists are generally comprised of adults . In reality juvenile arsonists compose more than half...