2. ARSON Arsonists now strike every 6 minutes. Young people will be the cause of most of the deliberate ignitions! Arson Prevention Bureau 1999

3. WHO PAYS? YOU

4. Fire-setting Can we stop fire setting behaviour?

5. Why the fire service? FIRE SETTING

6. ‘Types of Firesetters’ Curiosity/play Attention seeking Angry/revengeful School firesetter/arsonist Delinquent Mentally disturbed

7. Curiosity /Play firesetter is a child usually a boy, who has got ‘into’ fireplay behaviour and has become habituated to it. The fires are lit with matches or lighters from an early age. (2 -10 yrs)

8. Attention seekers- firesetting is designed to gain attention and to cause visual impact rather than damage. Eg - small waste-bin fire, setting fire to curtains esp when people are present. “Cry for help”. Can usually be successfully addressed quite quickly.

9. School Firesetter/Arsonist Obviously a particular threat to schools. Young person develops a grudge against the school or specific teacher, and with each successive punishment they receive, the probability of gaining “revenge” increases.

10. Angry/Revengeful may not have a history of fireplay and/or firesetting behaviour. May have happened by ‘chance’ as a means of resolving an angry feeling. One teenager may resolve his anger by smashing a plate glass window an other may do it by starting a fire. However, behaviour becomes associated with feeling of satisfaction, to be repeated as a way of resolving similar angry feelings.

11. Angry/Revengeful

12. Delinquent Firesetters; may be using fire to cover up other crimes, and is essentially more of a career criminal with a firesetting component.

13. Mentally disturbed this is a minority group, mainly older teenagers or adults. Usually have a fixation on fire and develop into career arsonists. Very dangerous type of firesetter.

14. PYROMANIAC Label rather than explanation, could be described as a syndrome with an obsessive- compulsive need to set fires.

15. Parents/Guardians Foster Parents Schools Social Workers Youth Workers Health Visitors WHO CAN MAKE REFERRALS? YOT members Police Probation Courts Mental Health Nurses Psychiatrists

16. What happens next?

17. IGNORING THE PROBLEM

18. Addressing Firesetting Behaviour

19. CASE STUDIES See handouts

20. THE END any questions?