@article{ref1,
title="A study of firesetting and animal cruelty in children: family influences and adolescent outcomes",
journal="Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry",
year="2004",
author="Becker, Kimberly D. and Stuewig, Jeffrey and Herrera, Veronica M. and McCloskey, L. A.",
volume="43",
number="7",
pages="905-912",
abstract="OBJECTIVE: To investigate relationships among family risk factors, childhood firesetting and animal cruelty, and adolescent delinquency. METHOD: 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). CONCLUSION: These findings indicate that family variables increase the likelihood of childhood firesetting and animal cruelty and that these behaviors are related to adolescent delinquency.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0890-8567",
doi="",
url="http://dx.doi.org/"
}