Juvenile Firesetters Intervention

Within our community, juvenile involvement in fire setting is a problem just as it is throughout the country. The FBI Uniform Crime Report 1994-95 indicated that 52% of all arson arrests in the United States are children under 18 years old. However, this number is probably much greater as many departments do not arrest many juveniles when they are involved in an arson. Many of the juveniles that our department encounters have set fires that were never reported to the fire department. We also receive phone calls from parents that have found that their children have set fires within their homes. Normally the parents have found several fires prior to contacting the fire department for assistance.

Juvenile fire setting is often due to the child’s curiosity of how fire works.

The FBI Uniform Crime Report 1994-95 indicated that 52% of all arson arrests in the United States are children under 18 years old.

The typical profile of the curious fire setter is often under 10 years of age and usually male (10:1), they are unaware of the consequence involved with setting fires and the extent of the potential devastation. However, we also encounter juveniles with more severe fire setting behavior. These juveniles are normally males between the ages of 5-17 with poor social skills and lack productive peer relationships. During interviews with these juveniles, the fire is often in response to some underlying problem, including abuse, neglect, death, divorce, or some other disruptive occurrence.

The fire department intervenes with these juveniles through several different referral methods. Normally the juvenile interventionist receives notification from; fire companies, parents, police department, and/or the juvenile probation department. After a referral is received, the parents are contacted and an appointment is made to meet with the parents and the juvenile at the fire station. The Pekin Fire Department utilize the Illinois Juvenile Firesetter Program, the program consists of a(n): Family Interview, Parental Questionnaire, and Child Interview. The answers are scored and classified into one of three categories that address the need of the juvenile. These needs may be one of a combination of fire safety education and/or psychological referral for the juvenile or the entire family. If the juvenile probation department refers a juvenile and their family, the judge can and will make participation in the program mandatory. Additional fire safety education materials, including videos and books, are available at the public library, that are provided by Pekin Fire Fighters Local 524, at no charge to the families.

If we intend to get the problem under control, it is essential that all of us address the problem of juvenile fire setting behavior in an aggressive manner. Remember that 85% of those killed in child-set fires are children!