The Firesetting Behaviour of 10 to 17 Year-olds: An Investigative Study.

The act of starting fires by young people is one that affects the lives of many and calls upon the resources of statutory services which include the fire service, the criminal justice system and social services. Primarily carried out by males, firesetting is recognised as a form of delinquent behaviour with approximately 30% of all such acts being carried out by adolescents aged between 12 and 17. Through the process of analysing the narratives told by a group of adolescents who had themselves been involved in firesetting this study sought to provide an insight into how those activities fitted into the overall contexts of their lives. By means of documenting the similarities and differences between participants it sought to illustrate who these firesetters might be and to provide recommendations for preventive measures. There has been little previous literature that has sought to place firesetting within the greater framework of society, while much has viewed it as a unitary act. Psycho dynamic theories have attempted to explain the vicarious pleasures which firesetters supposedly receive, however they fail to address and explain the other motivations for firesetting which place it as an act taking place as part of a broader series of events. Sixteen adolescent males who had started at least one fire whilst between the ages of 12 and 17 were interviewed, most of whom were serving custodial sentences. Using a combination of modified versions of Narrative Analysis and Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis in which the researcher’s own reflexivity was accepted as a factor, recurrent themes were identified. It was found that many of the young people interviewed had experienced highly negative life events and had generally led chaotic lifestyles which included the loss of one or both parents and frequent periods in care of the authorities. Most had also been involved in a variety of criminal activities including joy-riding, vandalism, burglary, theft and acts of violence. Nevertheless, the motivations for firesetting were varied as were the contexts in which they took place, in addition it was found that not all participants came from materially deprived backgrounds. The findings of this study indicate that firesetting is not an homogeneous activity, in addition there was little indication that current preventative measures including criminal charges, sentences, education and counselling reflect the contexts of adolescent firesetting. It is concluded that it is unlikely that interventions which seek to view firesetting in a unitary manner and attempt to provide a ‘universal’ panacea would prove successful in the long temi. It is proposed that packages which reflect the needs and contexts of the individual might prove more effective in preventing further firesetting activity by combining elements of sanctions, material and emotional support, education and social inclusion.

Name dc:type.qualificationname

PhD

Level dc:type.qualificationlevel

Doctoral

Grantor dc:publisher.institution

De Montfort University

Year dc:date.issued

2005

Author dc:creator

• Semenchuk, Michael Gene

Licence

• https://dora.dmu.ac.uk/bitstreams/3402d0ac-1e89-47d3-83d9-edbd7a23f80a/download