If you have issues viewing or accessing this file contact us at NCJRS.gov. FA 80 / August 1988 ADOLESCENT FIRESETTER HAND 0 K '~~' ,'" ,', ... _,I " " ,1 \ .' , _"I "',' . ~' " AGES 14-18 FED'.~RAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY United States Fire Administration ADOLESCEN~ FIRESETTER HANDBOzPK AGES 14-18 126391 U.S. Department of Justice National institl,lte of Justice This document has been reproduced exactly as received from the person or organization originating it. Points of view or opinions stated in this document are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the National Institute of Justice. Permission to reproduce this ~ • S material has been granted by Pl]bl j c DomLioawjuU.J.--________ -lJ-...£.-.-.RL~-AGm-in-i&I;.r-a-t-ien;___-­ to the National Criminal Justice Reference Service (NCJRS). Further reproduction outside of the NCJRS system requires permis­ sion of the ~ owner. Prepared for the THE UNITED STATES FIRE ADMINISTRATION FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY by the International Association of Fire Chiefs, Inc. This document produced by the International Association of Fire Chiefs under Contract Number EMU-85-R- 2080, "Arson Mitigation Programs Development"). The opinons expressed in this document do not necessar­ ily reflect the positions of the the U.S. Fire Administration or the International Association of Fire Chiefs, Inc. Adolescent Firesetter Handbook Ages 14-18 Acknowledgements The senior editors gratetfully acknowledge the substantial contribu­ tions made to this guide by the following professionals. Contributors: Michael Baizerman, Ph.D., M.S.W. Paul Boccumini, Ph.D. Captain Joe Day Beth Emsoff, M.S. Kenneth R. Fineman, Ph.D. David J. Kolko, Ph.D. Patricia Mieszala, R.N. The senior editors also would like to thank the numerous fire de­ partments and communities which participated in the review and ap­ plication of this manual. In addition, a special appreciation is extended to the numerous individuals at the U. S. Fire Administration, the Inter­ national Association of Fire Chiefs and the various community agencies and professionals who recognize the importance of supporting efforts to reduce juvenile involvement in firesetting and arson. Under the combined leadership of Clyde Bragdon, Jr., Tom Minnich, Garry Briese and Hugh Mc Clees this manual makes its contribution to the field of juvenile fire­ setting. Senior Editors: Jessica Gaynor, Ph.D. Clifford Karchmer, M.P .A., M.A. ii Adolescent Firesetter Handbook Ages 14-18 TABLE OF CONTENTS SECTION I. ADOLESCENCE AND FIRE 1 Module 1 • Firesetting During Adolescence 2 Childhood Firesetting 2 -Normal Fire Behavior 3 -Pathological Firesetting 3 -Intervention 5 Adolescent Firesetting 6 -Pathological Firesetting 7 -Adolescent Firesetters 8 Firesetting and Mental Illness 9 -Conduct Disorder 9 Firesetting and Juvenile Delinquency 10 -Firesetting As Arson 10 -Motive and Intent 11 Adolescent Firesetting-Mental Disturbance and Juvenile Delinquency 11 Summary 12 SECTION II. EVALUATING ADOLESCENT FIRESETTERS 13 Module 2 • Procedures For Evaluating Adolescent Firesetters 14 Who Evaluates and Why 14 -Who Evaluates 14 -Why Evaluate 15 Evaluation Methods 16 -Written Information 16 -Personal Interviews 17 Interviewing 17 -Interview Style 17 -Interview Guidelines 19 -Interview Sequence 20 -Interview Process 20 Summary 21 Module 3 • Conducting Evaluation Interviews 22 Critical Content Areas for Evaluation 22 -Firesetting History 23 -Psychological Environment 25 -Special Circumstances 29 The Interview Schedule 33 -Asking the Questions 34 -Resistance 35 -Confiden tiali ty 36 Supplementary Interviews 37 Summary 37 Module 4 • The Interview Information-Conclusions and Recommendations 39 Organizing the Information 39 -Ruling Out Special Circumstances 40 -Firesetting History 41 -Psychological Environment 42 Making Recommendations 44 -Formulating Intervention Plans 45 iii Adolescent Firesetter Handbook Ages 14-18 -Presentation of Intervention Plans 50 -Written Evaluations 50 Summary 51 SECTION ITI. INTERVENTION 52 Module 5 • Fire Department Intervention 53 Detection 53 -Voluntary 54 -Referral 54 -Investigation 55 Evaluation 55 Intervention 56 -Education and Prevention 56 -Evaluation and Referral 58 -Counseling 60 Referral 61 Summary 62 Module 6 • Fire Departments and Community Programs 64 Fire Departments and Youth Services 64 Fire Departments and Schools . 66 Fire Departments and Mental Health Services 68 Fire Departments, Law Enforcement And Juvenile Justice 70 Summary 72 Module 7 • Working With Adolescent Firesetters--Social And Legal Responsibilities 74 Confidentiality 75 -Verbal Communications 75 -Written Records 76 -PubLications and Media 76 Advocacy 78 Liability 79 -Legal 80 -Financial 81 -Insurance 81 Summary 82 Appendices 84 Appendix A The Psychology of Adolescence 85 Appendix B Adolescent and Family Interview Schedules 92 Appendix C Examples of Adolescent Firesetter Evaluation Reports 111 Appendix D Description of Adolescent Firesetter Programs 118 Appendix E Juvenile Miranda Rights 123 Appendix F Directory of Juvenile Firesetter Programs 124 Bibliography iv Adolescent Firesetter Handbook Ages 14-18 Executive Summary This is the third of a three-volume sequence on juvenile firesetting developed for the fire service and related community agencies by the United States Fire Administration in conjunction with the International Association of Fire Chiefs. The first volume,Young Child Firesetter Handbook. Ages 7 and Under., is intended to help professionals work with firesetting youngsters under the age of seven. The second volume, Child Firesetter Handbook. Ages 7-13." is a guide to working with fire­ setting youngsters ages seven to fourteen. The third volume is aimed at developing programs to work with adolescent firesetters. These three volumes represent a comprehensive system to help the fire service and their communities combat the significant problem of juvenile firesetting. This third volume on adolescent firesetting is divided into three sections. The first section, Adolescent and Fire, describes the psychology of adolescence, which youngsters are likely to become adolescent fire­ starters, and why firesetting occurs during this period of life. The sec­ ond section, Evaluating Adolescent Firesetters, outlines procedures for collecting information on firesetting adolescents so that effective deci­ sions can be made to help eliminate their firestarting and related be­ havior problems. The final section, Intervention, details how fire de­ partments and community agencies can develop and maintain programs designed to stop adolescent firestarting and remediate the accompany­ ing psychological problems. This manual presents the most current and thorough information for the fire service on how to reduce adolescent-set fires in their community. It is the goal of this three volume sequence to set the standard for documenting the most effective methods available to help decrease the incidence of juvenile firesetting. The technical information contained in these volumes represents the combined efforts of many professionals in a variety of fields. The collaboration between the fire service, medicine, mental health, youth agencies, schools, law enforcement and juvenile justice is the best solution for maintaining fire-safe communities. v Adolescent Firesetter Handbook Ages 14-18 . - . SECTION· I. ~ , . ADOLESCENCE AND' FIR·E 1 - ---- ---------_._--------------- Adolescent Firesetter Handbook Ages 14-18 Module 1 '. ~'Fir-eS'etting '.' ",. During Adolescence ThiS module describes how and why fire setting develops during adolescence. Interested readers can find a de­ tailed description of the pyschology of adolescence in Appendix A. The major assumption is that fire is a naturally occurring interest which is first observed in children between the ages of three to five. If this in­ terest is acknowledged by teaching youngsters fire safety and preven­ tion, the likelihood is low that these children will become involved in unsupervised firestarts. However, the lack of fire safety skills, coupled with various types of psychological stress, can lead youngsters into pathological firesetting behavior. If youngsters receive effective inter­ vention soon after their initial firestart, it is unlikely that they will become involved in subsequent firestarts. However, the older the young­ ster and the greater the number of unsupervised fires tarts, the more se­ vere the firesetting behavior. Similar physical, cognitive, emotional and social factors responsible for childhood fire starting also are ob­ served in adolescent firesetters. Firesetting during adolescence mayor may not be classified as mental illness depending on whether the evi­ dence of psychopathology indicates a psychiatric diagnosis. In addition firesetting during adolescence can be viewed as an act of juvenile delin­ quency, punishable by arrest, trial, conviction and incarceration. It is important to be able to determine if adolescent firesetting represents a mental disturbance as well as a criminal act of arson. Childhood Firesetting Firesetting does not simply emerge during adolescence as one isolat­ ed behavior. Rather, there is likely to be a series of behaviors or events occurring during childhood which indicates whether firesetting behavior will either surface or continue on its course during adolescence. Therefore, it is important to understand how fire interest first develops and why youngsters must learn fire safety and prevention skills. Al­ though fire education may