OBJECTIVE: To describe a methodology of assessing preschoolers involved in firesetting incidents, and outline the psychiatric implications of firesetting incidents in young children. METHOD: To outline The Arson Prevention Program for Children and present case vignettes. RESULTS: The heightened risk of burn injury or fatality in fires caused by young children is highlighted and practical suggestions for facilitating the immediate safety of the child and family are presented. CONCLUSION: Despite the popular notion that fire interest and play is relatively benign in young children, the cases show that, as with older children, firesetting in preschoolers can be associated with serious child and/or family psychopathology.
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Hanson et al. (1995) studied this question.
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