Violent Marriages May Make Violent Children
Violence at Home Linked to Fire Setting and Animal Cruelty by Kids
WebMD News Archive
July 2, 2004 -- Children of violent marriages may be more than
twice as likely to set fires intentionally or be cruel to animals than those
from nonviolent homes, according to new research.
The study shows that problems in the family, especially violent
behavior among father figures, significantly increase the risk of fire setting
and animal cruelty in children, and these behaviors set the stage for later
Researchers say childhood fire setting and animal cruelty may
be linked to childhood psychological problems such as ADHD or conduct disorder,
which may lead to later chronic criminal behavior, but few studies have looked
at the relationship between these behaviors and family risk factors.
This study suggests that the relationship between fire setting
and animal cruelty and juvenile delinquency is potentially strong, and any sign
of these behaviors should be taken seriously and addressed at an early age.
Family Factors Tied to Fire Setting, Animal Cruelty
In the study, researchers followed a group of about 300
battered women and their children for 10 years and asked them periodically
about family life and any problem behavior in their children.
The results appear in the July issue of the Journal of the
American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.
The study showed that children from homes with violent
marriages were 2.4 times more likely to set fires than those residing in
nonviolent homes. Children from homes where the mother's partner harmed pets or
drank large quantities of alcohol were also more likely to engage in
In addition, researchers found that children from violent homes
were 2.3 times more likely to be cruel to animals, and harsh parenting from
either parent also increased the risk of animal cruelty.
Over time, the study showed that children who set fires were
nearly four times more likely than non-fire setters to be referred to juvenile
court in adolescence, and they were nearly five times as likely be arrested for
a violent crime.
The researchers did not find a relationship between childhood
cruelty to animals and a referral to juvenile court for an offense. However,
animal abusers were twice as likely to commit a violent offense such as assault
or possession of a weapon.