Children and Teenagers Who Set Fires: Why They Do It and How to Help

This book helps adults to understand firesetting behaviour in children and teens andprovides strategies to work with them to address the behaviour. Drawing upon the latestjuvenile firesetting research and utilising child development theory to underpin its safetymessages, the book explores why young people might set fires in the first place andcontextualises firesetting in terms of communication and gaining the attention of carersand other adults.The chapters lay out practical, tried-and-tested steps that professionals and carers cantake to address firesetting behaviour, and suggests how to further support any child orteen who sets fires. This includes summaries of the latest evidence-based supportstrategies and a range of creative activities that can be used in direct work with childrenand teenagers who set fires, tailored to specific age ranges. C ombining expert advice onfiresetting behaviour with straightforward practices, this comprehensive book can be usedby anyone working with young people to help them intervene and prevent it.