Abstract
Parents can provide information and insight critical to the understanding and treatment of clinical and forensic psychological issues presented by juvenile fire setters. Better inclusion of parents may improve treatment outcomes, and thus promote public safety. Forensic assessments of juvenile fire setters (JFSB) often reveal emotional discord (e.g., anxiety, depression, social, trauma-related stress). The intentional features of a juvenile’s case meet the FBI criteria for arson-related behaviors. Risk assessment by mental health professionals is imperative to try to anticipate the threat of repeat behavior. The ratings can then be used by a diverse group of professionals (e.g., psychosocial service providers, legal agencies, prosecutors, and probation officers). Parents are powerful (though sometimes reluctant) informants, who may require encouragement to assist mental health professionals craft better risk assessments. Information from parents can significantly influence the clinical and forensic service experiences of JFSs. This paper reviews the clinical and forensic matters relevant to understanding juvenile fire setters. The article examines risk assessment issues relative to using information provided by parents in the context of forensic work with juvenile fire setters. A section of the article is dedicated to the considering how the assessment of parents is used in the broader context of the forensic work with a juvenile. A recommended interview procedure for parents of juvenile fire setters is reviewed. Conclusions for forensic research and implications for forensic psychological practice are also highlighted.
Highlights
Parents can provide information and insight critical to the understanding and treatment of clinical and forensic psychological issues presented by juvenile fire setters
The forensic likelihood of these youth reoffending increases because they frequently present with inadequate social skills, DSM5 Quad mental health-related problems, family discord or parent psychopathology which can be summarized in an acronym (ISDQFP)
The juveniles referred by legal authorities to mental health service providers in these incidents can range in age from pre-school up to age 19 [8,9]
Summary
Juvenile Fire Setters/Setting (JFS) constitutes an expensive, life-threatening problem for youth under the age of 19 [13]. The same boys were involved in another fire that was set in a garage weeks earlier These types of juvenile forensic psychology cases constitute a threat to public safety because the youth is usually involved in several fires before they are caught. The juveniles referred by legal authorities to mental health service providers in these incidents can range in age from pre-school up to age 19 [8,9]. Consistent with the DSM-5, the JFS risk point to mental health factors as a major contributing variable probably best assessed across several disorders (APA, 2013). J Forensic Res 5: 214. doi:10.4172/2157-7145.1000214 assessment methodology chosen for any forensic evaluation of parentchild activities [19]
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