Child fire-setting is generally not referred to as “arson” because in a legal context it is considered that children as young as 10 years cannot form an “intention” to commit a crime. However, many child development specialists and educators openly object to the use of the word “play” in describing a child’s negative behaviour, or misuse of fire and fire tools. According to these professionals, the word “play” should only be associated with positive, learning activities. Alternative, perhaps more appropriate terms have been proposed and include “fire-starting” or (more formally) “experimentation with fire and/or fire tools” (NFPA 1035 Standard). I tend to use the term fire-starter to refer to individuals under 18 years who light fires and “arson” to the fire-setting behaviour of individuals aged 18 years and over.

It is widely accepted that fire behaviour follows a naturally occurring developmental sequence in children, with at least three distinct phases: fire interest; fire-starting; fire-setting. The labels used for these stages differ across different researchers, and some authors have divided these categories up further to provide more descriptive classification system. Other authors have argued that there is no empirical support for these distinctions and it is more useful to consider classifying child fire-starters according to other factors, such as intensity of curiosity, angry feelings associated with fire association. At the end of the day, however, there are similar underlying general principles across these systems that can be neatly expressed in these three stages.

Although most adult arsonists report fire-setting as children (and/or making hoax calls), there is little empirical evidence to support or refute the idea that child fire-setting predisposes an individual to arson in adulthood. There is some evidence that the nature of fire-setting changes as the individual progresses through adolescence. At a young age children tend to light fires alone. As the child enters adolescence the likelihood of lighting fires with others increases, unless their fire-setting is particularly severe. In this case, the tendency to light fires with peers decreases, while the severity or seriousness of the fire-setting increases as fire-setting continues. Some studies have found that fire interest tends to wane with adolescence for boys, but not for girls. But as most adult arsonists are male, it suggests either inaccurate self-report data, or that the nature of fire behaviour changes for males.

Today there are effective educational programs in fire and life safety that have been developed and tested with preschool age children and are implemented through the school system. These materials are designed with the child’s development needs in mind. The NFPA has conducted research which established that education in fire safety is effective, even with children as young as three years. At this time, little is known about which elements of these interventions are associated with reduced recidivism. The more promising approaches seem to be those that provide a collaborative program combining fire safety skills training, prevention education and psychosocial family interventions, although this has not been systematically examined yet.

In Australia there is a child/juvenile fire awareness and education programme available in each State or Territory. You can contact the relevant programme coordinator in your region through the links below.

Child Fire-setter Programmes in Australia

NSW: Intervention and Fire awareness Program (IFAP)
http://www.nswfb.nsw.gov.au/community/factsheets/programs/ifap.php

VIC: Juvenile Fire Awareness and Intervention Program
http://www.mfbb.vic.gov.au/default.asp?casid=539

SA: Juvenile Fire Lighters Intervention Program
http://www.samfs.sa.gov.au/community/pdfs/jflip.pdf

WA: Juvenile and Family Fire Awareness Program (JAFFA).
jaffa@fesa.wa.gov.au

NT: Juvenile Fire Awareness and Intervention Program (JFAIP)
http://www.nt.gov.au/pfes/fire/community/safety/index.html#anchor6

ACT: Juvenile Fire Awareness and Intervention Program
http://www.firebrigade.act.gov.au/Preparedness/JFAIP/index.html

TAS: Juvenile Fire Lighter Intervention Program (JFLIP)
http://www.fire.tas.gov.au/mysite/Show?pageId=coljflipProgram

QLD: Fire Ed
http://www.fire.qld.gov.au/communitysafety/freeprograms/fireed.asp
or
Juvenile Arson Offenders Program (JAOP)
http://www.fire.qld.gov.au/communitysafety/freeprograms/jaop.asp
or
Fight Fire Fascination
http://www.fire.qld.gov.au/communitysafety/freeprograms/fff.asp