Juvenile Fire Setting
In 1999, the National Association of State Fire Marshals (NASFM), with a grant from the Department of Justice's Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, commissioned the first comprehensive group of studies on the problem of juvenile firesetters in the United States. The purpose of conducting these studies was to formulate the basis of a strategic plan to better coordinate existing public and private resources needed to reduce the severity and incidence of fires started by
children.
To accomplish this, the "Juvenile Firesetter Intervention Research Project" was undertaken by NASFM through an independent group of five (5) subcontractor expert teams who conducted studies on specific areas concerning the origin, identification, and handling of juvenile firesetters, according to the guidelines established by NASFM.
The findings produced by these reports are contained in a summary document produced by NASFM's Juvenile Firesetter Intervention Task Force. The NASFM summary, as well as the individual research reports produced by each of the Expert Study Teams, are available on this site for downloading and also on a CD-ROM from NASFM (click on the link at the top of this page).
The NASFM "Juvenile Firesetter Intervention Project" is the first time that a comprehensive, nationwide effort has been undertaken to examine multiple aspects of the juvenile firesetter problem - from familial, environmental and individual factors, to how the legal and social welfare systems address juvenile firesetting. These reports examine what has been done, what has been effective, and ways in which remedial efforts could be more effective.
Each of the contracted teams conducted their reviews independent of one another and of NASFM. While each report covered a separate aspect of the juvenile firesetter problem, several commonalties emerged from the studies, which are discussed in the section entitled "Common Findings." It is that overlapping of needs, concerns and issues that NASFM has embraced and formulated into a plan for future action.
The facts uncovered in this examination are compelling. Among them is the realization that juveniles make up 51% of all reported arson arrests in the U.S., according to a 1997 Federal Bureau of Investigation report. Left untreated, many of these juveniles will continue to set fires throughout their adulthood. This problem will not disappear by itself and must be addressed with a determination to deter juvenile firesetters from harming themselves, their families and the community as a whole.
NASFM Juvenile Firesetter Intervention Project Research Reports
Together, the following reports make up the whole. You must have the Adobe Acrobat™ reader in order to read these documents.
