Adolescent firesetting : a controlled study of risk factors in males

Abstract

Firesetting is common among youths who are increasingly recognised as responsible for many destructive fires. There is a need to understand the behaviour, assess those involved and develop intervention strategies. The current study explores the firesetting behaviour, personality patterns, coping responses, behaviour problems and family environments in a group of adolescent males involved in firesetting (« = 50). This was compared with a group with behaviour problems (« = 33) and a group without behaviour problems (« = 34). Those in the adolescent firesetting group were most likely to have set more than three fires; set fires away from both home and school; set fire to items of little value, such as paper and rubbish; and report their motivation for firesetting as “boredom”. Firesetting was associated with a range of emotional and behavioural problems, family dysfunction, experiences of abuse and the diagnoses of Conduct Disorder and Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Compared to the behavioural group, those involved in firesetting were more likely to play with matches, have a diagnosis of ADHD, underachieve at school, have more deviant thoughts and beliefs, and have been sexually abused. While firesetting most often occurred in a group, solitary firesetting was associated with social isolation, thought problems, anger, and a lack of concern over the consequences of the fire. Serious firesetting was explored by differentiating the firesetting group into those involved in repetitive firesetting (three or more fires) and those involved in arson (wilful and malicious firesetting). Repetitive firesetting was more common, resulting in a more heterogenous group. It was associated with more involvement in fire-related behaviours; experimentation; being excited by the fire; and beliefs that differed from social norms, such as dishonesty, Iack of guilt and involvement in unusual behaviours. Arson was associated with more serious and destructive fires, antisocial behaviour, poor school performance, a history of having been sexually abused, domestic violence and a Iack of insight into feelings and behaviour. The implications of the results in terms of the understanding, assessment and intervention include a Iink between ADHD and sensation seeking in firesetting; the importance of early intervention; how the emotional response to a fire was a useful factor in predicting repetitiveness; the differences identified between those involved in solitary and group firesetting; and a possible link between sexual abuse and firesetting.