America is burning! According to FBI statistics, the United States has the highest rate of arson in the world. Arson is America's fastest growing crime. Arson quadrupled during the 1970s and it continues to rise in the 21st century at an alarming rate.
The FBI index reports that juvenile and adult arsons cause an annual average of over 550,000 fires, almost 750 deaths, over 3,600 injuries and about 1.5 billion dollars in property loss. The crime index also states that 55% of all arson arrests in the United States are children under age 18. Nearly half of these are age 15 or younger, and around seven percent are under age ten. The crime of arson has the highest rate of juvenile involvement.
Juvenile fire setting can result from the seemingly innocent acts of naturally curious children playing with matches and lighters or the apparently vicious acts of the emotionally disturbed "pyromaniac." Public schools are often the target of delinquent fire setters who usually have histories of school-related problems. Estimates put the costs related to juvenile arson in America's schools at about 500 million dollars annually.
For many troubled children, fire setting is a way of releasing anger and frustration and unleashing resentment in an aggressive and often symbolic attack on society. The motives of juvenile fire setters are varied and complex. For example, a ten-year-old boy admitted that he set fire to the family home because he was angry with his mother for spanking him. In another case, a 14-year-old boy stated that he "torched" a vacant building to impress his friends. In still another case, a 17-year-old boy told how he had set numerous fires over the years so that he could "feel the heat and watch the flames."
The most common background among juvenile fire setters is a troubled family life. Problems such as domestic violence, poor family relationships, abuse and neglect cause many children to set fires and commit other delinquent acts. Their fire setting behavior is often a symbolic expression of inner pain and a cry for help.
Juvenile fire setting affects us all. Most of us feel the effects when we pay property taxes or insurance premiums. Others experience the effects more directly, through injury, the loss of possessions, property or life. Even the juvenile fire setter is not exempt from the effects of his or her behavior – the problems that cause the fire setting and the consequences of the act may last a lifetime.
