Juvenile Fire Setters

Juvenile Fire Setters is an intervention program developed to address the dramatic increase in arson among young people.

There are four distinct types of fire setters:

1. Curious

The majority of these are between two and seven years old. They imitate adults who light cigarettes and candles. It is normal for them to be interested in fire, but they must be taught how destructive it can be.

2. Troubled

These are generally children crying out for help. Many of these children have problems at school and could also be trying to cope with domestic abuse. Setting fires is a way for them to deal with their anger. Troubled children tend to:

play alone,
be very shy,
wet their beds,
stutter,
be incapable of forming close relationships,
fight impulsively with siblings or peers,
suffer from extreme mood swings, and
act aggressively by hurting themselves or destroying their toys.

3. Delinquent

These are young teenagers with a history of pyromania. They target abandoned buildings, open fields and schools. The fires can be large and very destructive. Experts say that delinquent fire setters have a history of lying, theft, truancy and possible substance abuse.

4. Severely Disturbed

A very small percentage of fire setters is severely disturbed. Age is not an issue. Most severely disturbed fire setters are in mental or correctional institutions.

The Juvenile Fire-setters Program

The program consists of a trained fire inspector meeting with the juvenile and his or her parents after the parents have been told about the program. The juvenile receives approximately one hour of counselling about fire safety and the dangers that are involved with setting fires. After the counselling session, the child is assigned an essay or a speech on a pre-determined subject relevant to his or her situation.

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