Young people who have severe emotional or physical handicaps or who have trouble coping with family problems such as death or divorce. These children may appear overly obedient or unobtrusive. In young children, fire-setting is the symptom of a problem, not the problem itself. But the symptom must be treated immediately. Counseling and professional guidance can redirect a young person's behavior and help him or her confront the underlying problem.
Many fire departments offer programs to help juvenile fire-setters.
Parents, teachers, and neighbors should be sure local fire departments know about young people who set fires. But whatever the reason for the malicious burning of property, arson is now a major crime, just listed by the FBI as one of the 8 major crimes along with murder, robbery, burglary, assault, and forcible rape. This reclassification of arson as a major crime is focusing new attention and efforts on arson detection, investigation, prosecution, and conviction. About 1000 innocent victims die each year in incendiary or suspicious fires and thousands more are injured. Even though no one you know may die because of arson, everyone shares the cost of this crime.