ADHD/ADD, Childhood Maltreatment and Juvenile Arsonists.

Juvenile arson, mental health problems, and childhood maltreatment have received limited attention from researchers. The link between childhood maltreatment and juvenile arson has recently been proposed by Root, MacKAy, Del Bove and Warling (2008) but the link and cumulative effects of mental health, specifically impulse control disorders, child maltreatment and juvenile arson has not been well explored. This study will explore the impact of a diagnosis of ADD/ADHD with and separated from a history of childhood maltreatment in a sample of male (n=282) and female (n =114) juveniles charged with arson regarding their crime situation, individual characteristics including substance use, peer interactions, mental health and school functioning as well as family dynamics. Recommendations for specific treatment for this population will be recommended and future research direction will be discussed. ..PAT.-Unpublished Manuscript [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]