“Burn baby burn! – Burn that mama down.” – The Trammps

In Part 1 of this two-part series the reader was presented with:  an overview of juvenile fire-setting; some of the rather sobering statistics related to it; its three sub-groups; some common myths often associated with it; related characteristics; and, individual and environmental predictors.  To briefly review, arson/fire-setting is a serious and dangerous crime injuring and killing people, destroying property, and undermining neighborhoods.  Yet, when we speak of juvenile delinquents, arson/fire-setting is not typically what comes to mind.  However, approximately one in four fires is intentionally set, and almost half of those are intentionally started by kids…people under the age of 18.  The number of juvenile fire-setters has been shown to be growing each year, and the amount of financial and psychological damage it causes is considerable.  In fact, fires set my juveniles are more likely than any other household disaster to result in death.  Kids setting fires poses a notable risk to people and property, but perhaps the most somber fact is that almost 85% of the victims of fires started by children are the children themselves.

So, what can be done to intercede in this highly destructive and dangerous behavior?   Many families, teachers and law enforcement workers are often hesitant to take action against children on what they often hope, and want to believe, is a singular occurrence, and therefore not to be taken seriously.  As such, fire-setting often goes unreported and as a result the juvenile avoids not only prosecution, but more worrisome, avoids intervention.  However, all children found to have engaged in fire-setting behavior require some sort of intervention.  Even very young children whose curiosity is such to have been involved in fire-play need to be educated on the significant dangers of such behavior so that they do not end up repeating it.  Some specific steps that can and should be taken include:

• Talk to your children about the dangers of fire and fire-play.  If you find they are carrying any sort of “fire” materials, such as matches or lighters, talk to them.  Also be attentive to their mood and relationships with peers both in and outside of the home.  Furthermore, talk to them about not only the potential destruction and physical harm from such behavior, but the legal ramifications as well.
• Keep lighters and matches safely stored away, high and well out of the reach of young children.  If need be, lock them up.
• As in other things, setting a good example very much impacts your child’s behavior.  Not surprisingly, kids learn about using fire, appropriately or otherwise, by watching the adults in their world.  If adults are not respectful in their behavior around fire, neither will their children.
• Do not play “ostrich” by sticking your head in the sand.  When you see a child playing with fire in dangerous ways it is imperative you seek appropriate assistance whether it is through additional education, or possibly even a mental health assessment.  Punishment and “scare tactics” are not effective sustainable interventions.  They simply do not work.  A little well-known fact is that our local fire department is actually one of the very best places to start when addressing the needs of a child misusing fire as they are expert in providing well-targeted fire safety education.  If the need is greater, formal evaluation by a child and/or adolescent psychiatrist or psychologist may well be in order.

While a simple curiosity about fire in the developing child is a normal, fire-setting is not.  Ignoring the problem and leaving the juvenile untreated is not reasonable as typically they do not outgrow the behavior.  Ignoring it can easily communicate an indifference in the child’s health and safety which can lead to increased fire-setting as well as other negative behaviors.  Furthermore, the practice of satiation, repeatedly lighting and extinguishing fires, once believed to be effective in preventing fire-setting behavior has been found to do just the opposite.  For many children the more practice they have with fire the more skilled they may feel which may actually lead to an increase in the undesired behavior.

At this time, there is no universally accepted evidence-based intervention for the treatment of juvenile fire-setting.  However, there are modalities that have shown to be effective in diminishing and/or eliminating the behavior.  Both cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and fire safety education have been found to reduce fire-setting and fire-play behaviors for extended periods of time.  Fire safety education includes teaching about how quickly fire can spread, how destructive it can be, how to maintain an appropriate fire-safe environment, as well as the appropriate use of fire.  Treatment models designed to intercede with children and adolescents were found to be much more effective when provided over the long-term (months) rather than briefly (weeks).  Both CBT and fire safety education were also shown to be effective in lessening the occurrence of playing with matches and lighters.

If your child, or a juvenile you know, has been playing with fire, or worse setting fires, please get involved.  Ignoring the problem will not work.  Fire Departments provide a number of wonderful programs designed to educate the public about fire safety, as doing so is one of the most effective strategies in preventing fires.  If you need a child to be “educated”, or need additional information or educational materials to teach on your own, do not hesitate to contact your local fire department.

The Santa Barbara County Fire Department can be reached by calling (805) 681-5500.  The Ventura County Fire Department can be reached by calling (805) 389-9710.  If you would like more specific information about juvenile fire-setting behavior go to http://www.sosfires.com/ to learn about the SOS Fires Youth Intervention Programs.  You can contact them as well at 503-805-8482 or by e-mailing sosfires@sosfires.com.

There are several highly qualified and capable Psychiatrists and Cognitive-Behavioral therapists within the Tri-Counties area that can effectively assist in treating the juvenile fire-setter.  They can be found by entering “Cognitive Behavioral Therapists” in your local area on your favorite search engine.