A Study of Firesetting and Animal Cruelty in Children: Family Influences and Adolescent Outcomes

To investigate relationships among family risk factors, childhood firesetting and animal cruelty, and adolescent delinquency. 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. 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 (β = 0.16). These findings indicate that family variables increase the likelihood of childhood firesetting and animal cruelty and that these behaviors are related to adolescent delinquency.