Children younger than 18 set approximately 60% of the incendiary fires in large cities. The authors review the history of psychological explanations for firesetting and examine the current research regarding this phenomenon. The authors also review treatment approaches for juvenile firesetters, including behavior modification, psychodynamic therapy, family approaches, cognitive therapy, and group work. Critical considerations for effective treat' ment, including bereavement and disfigurement, are presented. Clinical examples are provided throughout the article.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
AlvarezA. (1991). Wildest dreams: Aspiration, identification, and symbol-formation in depressed children. Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy, 5, 177โ189.
2.
American Psychiatric Association. (1987). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (3rd ed., rev.). Washington, DC: Author.
3.
BakerJ. E.SedneyM. A., & GrossE. (1992). Psychological tasks for bereaved children. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 62, 103โ116.
4.
BowerD. J. (1990, March). Juvenile fire setting intervention. Fire Chief, pp. 35โ36.
5.
BumpassE. R.FagelmanF. D., & BrixR. J. (1983). Intervention with children who set fires. American Journal of Psychotherapy, 37, 328โ345.
6.
CarstensC. (1982). Application of a work penalty threat in the treatment of a case of juvenile fire setting. Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, 13, 159โ161.
7.
ChethikM. (1989). Techniques of child therapy: Psychodynamic strategies.New York: Guilford.
8.
DeSalvatoreG., & HornsteinR. (1991). Juvenile firesetting: Assessment and treatment in psychiatric hospitalization and residential placement. Child and Youth Care Forum, 20, 103โ114.
9.
DiGiuseppeR. (1989). Cognitive therapy with children. In FreemanA.SimonK. M.BeutlerL. E., & ArkovitzH. (Eds.), Comprehensive handbook of cognitive therapy (pp. 515โ533). New York: Plenum.
10.
EislerR. (1972). Crisis intervention in the family of a firesetter. Psychotherapy: Theory, Research and Practice, 9(1), 76โ79.
11.
Federal Emergency Management Agency. (1984). Juvenile firesetter program: Dealing with children ages 7โ14.Washington, DC: U.S. Fire Administration/National Fire Academy.
12.
FenichelO. (1945). The psychoanalytic theory of neurosis.New York: W. W. Norton.
13.
FinemanK. R. (1980). Firesetting in childhood and adolescence. Psychiatric Clinics of North America, 3, 483โ500.
14.
FitzgeraldM., & O'HanlonM. (1991). The incidence of firesetting and associated psychopathology of children attending a child outpatient clinic. Irish Journal of Medical Science, 160(5), 128โ129.
15.
FreudS. (1932). The acquisition and control of fire. Standard Edition, 22, London: Hogarth Press.
16.
GaynorJ., & HatcherC. (1987). The psychology of child firesetting: Detection and intervention.New York: Brunner/Mazel.
17.
GellerJ. L. (1992). Communicative arson. Hospital and Community Psychiatry, 43(1), 76โ77.
18.
GrinsteinA. (1952). Stages in the development of control of fire. International Journal of Psychoanalysis, 33, 416โ420.
19.
GrolnickW. S.ColeR. E.LaurenitisL., & SchwartzmanP. (1990). Playing with fire: A developmental assessment of children's fire understanding and experience. Journal of Clinical Child Psychology, 19, 128โ135.
20.
GruberA. R.HeckE. T., & MintzerE. (1981). Children who set fires: Some background and behavioral characteristics. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 51, 484โ488.
21.
HillR. W.LangevinR.PaitichD.HandyL.RussonA., & WilkinsonL. (1982). Is arson an aggressive act or a property offense? A controlled study of psychiatric referrals. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 27, 648โ654.
22.
HollandC. J. (1969). Elimination by the parents of fire-setting behavior in a seven-year-old boy. Behavior Research and Therapy, 7, 135โ137.
23.
Insurance Information Institute. (1992). Property/casualty insurance facts, annual.New York: Author.
24.
JacobsonR. R. (1985). Child firesetters: A clinical investigation. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 26, 759โ768.
25.
JonesF. D. E. (1981). Therapy for firesetters. American Journal of Psychiatry, 138, 261โ262.
26.
KafryD. (1980). Playing with matches: Children and fire. In CanterD. (Ed.), Fires and human behavior (pp. 47โ61). Chichester, England: John Wiley.
27.
KaufmanI.HeimsL. W., & ReiserD. E. (1961). A re-evaluation of the psychodynamics of firesetting. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 31, 123โ136.
28.
KleinM. (1932). The psychoanalysis of children.New York: Free Press.
29.
KolkoD. J. (1983). Multicomponent parental treatment of firesetting in a developmentally disabled boy. Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, 14, 349โ353.
30.
KolkoD. J., & KazdinA. E. (1991a). Aggression and psychopathology in matchplaying and firesetting children: A replication and extension. Journal of Clinical Child Psychology, 20, 191โ201.
31.
KolkoD. J., & KazdinA. E. (1991b). Motives of childhood firesetters: Firesetting characteristics and psychological correlates. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 12, 535โ550.
32.
KolkoD. J.WatsonS., & FaustJ. (1991). Fire safety/prevention skills training to reduce involvement with fire in young psychiatric inpatients: Preliminary findings. Behavior Therapy, 22, 269โ284.
33.
LewisN. D. C., & YamellH. (1951). Pathological firesetting (pyromania). Nervous and Mental Disease Monographs, 82.Nicholasville, KY: Collidge Foundation.
34.
MachtL. B., & MackJ. E. (1968). The firesetter syndrome. Psychiatry, 31, 277โ288.
35.
MadanesC. (1981). Strategic family therapy.San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
36.
MadanesC. (1984). Behind the one-way mirror: Advances in the practice of strategic therapy.San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
37.
MahlerM. S.PineF., & BergmanA. (1975). The psychological birth of the human infant.New York: Basic Books.
38.
McGrathP.MarshallP. T., & PriorK. (1979). A comprehensive treatment program for a firesetting child. Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, 10, 69โ72.
39.
MinuchinS. (1974). Families and family therapy.Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
40.
MishneJ. M. (1983). Clinical work with children.New York: Free Press.
41.
MollK. D. (1974). Arson, vandalism, and violence: Law enforcement problems affecting fire departments, Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, Law Enforcement Assistance Administration, National Institute of Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice.
42.
National Fire Protection Association. (1992). Learn not to bum (3rd ed.). Quincy, MA: Author.
43.
ParensH. (1979). The development of aggression in early childhood.New York: Jason Aronson.
44.
RainesJ. C. (1991). Social skills groups for learning disabled students. School Social Work Journal, 16(4), 9โ23.
45.
SakheimG. A.OsbornE., & AbramsD. (1991). Toward a clearer differentiation of high-risk from low-risk firesetters. Child Welfare, 70, 489โ503.
46.
SchulteR., & GuerreS. (1984). Arsonists/les incendiaires. Actes de la recherche en sciences sociales, 51, 55โ66.
47.
ScrignarC. B. (1988). Post-traumatic stress disorder: Diagnosis, treatment, and legal issues (2nd ed.). New Orleans: Bruno.
48.
ShowersJ., & PickrellE. (1987). Child firesetters: A study of three populations. Hospital and Community Psychiatry, 38, 495โ501.
49.
SimmelE. (1949). Incendiarism. In EisslerK. R. (Ed.), Searchlights on delinquency: New psychoanalytic studies.New York: International Universities Press.
50.
SpitzerR. L.GibbonM.SkodolA. F.WilliamsJ. B. W.FirstM. B. (1989). DSM-III-R casebook: A learning companion to the diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (3rd ed., rev.). Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association.
51.
StawarT. L. (1976). Fable mod: Operantly structured fantasies as an adjunct in the modification of fire-setting behavior. Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, 7, 285โ287.
52.
StekelW. (1924). Pyromania. In Peculiarities of behavior (Vol. 2, pp. 124โ181). New York: Boni & Liverlight.
53.
StewartM. A., & CulverK. W. (1982). Children who set fires: The clinical picture and follow-up. British Journal of Psychiatry, 140, 357โ363.
54.
StrachanJ. G. (1981). Conspicuous firesetting in children. British Journal of Psychiatry, 138, 26โ29.
55.
TerrL. C. (1991). Childhood traumas: An outline and overview. American Journal of Psychiatry, 148, 10โ20.
56.
U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation. (1992). Crime in the United States, annual.Washington, DC: Author.
57.
VandersallJ. A., & WeinerJ. M. (1970). Children who set fires. Archives of General Psychiatry, 22, 63โ71.
58.
VreelandR. G., & LevinB. M. (1980). Psychological aspects of firesetting. In CanterD. (Ed.), Fires and human behavior (pp. 31โ46). Chichester, England: John Wiley.
59.
WaelderR. (1936). The principle of multiple function: Observations on overdetermination. Psychoanalytic Quarterly, 5, 45โ62.
60.
WebbN. B.SakheimG. A.Towns-MirandaL., & WagnerC. R. (1990). Collaborative treatment of juvenile firesetters: Assessment and outreach. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 60, 305โ310.
61.
WelshR. S. (1971). The use of stimulus satiation in the elimination of juvenile firesetting behavior. In GrazianoA. M. (Ed.), Behavior therapy with children.Chicago: Aldine.
62.
YalomI. D. (1980). Existential psychotherapy.New York: Basic Books.
63.
YarnellH. (1940). Firesetting in children. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 10, 262โ286.
64.
ZimpferD. G. (1992). Group work with juvenile delinquents. Journal for Specialists in Group Work, 17, 116โ126.
