Abstract
The present study investigates the types of juvenile firesetters and their psychological and behavioral characteristics with two behavioral dimensions, namely, multiplicity of crime and chronicity of firesetting, as the basis for classifying. Juvenile delinquents in Taiwan’s Reformatory Schools were surveyed by self-report questionnaire, and 352 juvenile firesetters were obtained from this sample. The results showed that juvenile firesetters could be divided into four types: simple-occasional, simple-chronic, multiple-occasional, and multiple-chronic juvenile firesetters. Generally, simple-occasional juvenile firesetters commit few types of crime and occasionally set fires, they are “opportunistic delinquents”, their vice is light, occupying about 36.9% of juvenile firesetters. Simple-chronic juvenile firesetters commit few types of crime and chronically set fires, they are “typical juvenile firesetters”, their central behavioral problem is firesetting, occupying about 11.1% juvenile firesetters. Multiple-occasional juvenile firesetters commit various types of crime and occasionally set fires, they are “typical juvenile delinquents”, occupying about 36.6% of juvenile firesetters. Multiple-chronic juvenile firesetters commit various types of crime and chronically set fires, they are the most pathological juvenile firesetters in need of psychiatric treatment, occupying about 15.3% of juvenile firesetters. Finally, the research method, research tools, relevant variables, self-report measure, and treatment implications for juvenile firesetters were discussed.
| Keywords: | multiple-occasional juvenile firesetters; multiple-chronic juvenile firesetters; simple-occasional juvenile firesetters; simple-chronic juvenile firesetters; types of juvenile firesetters |
|---|
[Chinese Version | Index | Journal of Education and Psychology | Other Journals | Subscription form | Enquiry ]
Mail any comments and suggestions to
hkier-journal@cuhk.edu.hk .