NCJ Number
89461
Journal
British Journal of Psychiatry Volume: 140 Dated: (1980) Pages: 357-363
Date Published
1982
Length
7 pages
Annotation
The study concerns 46 children who had set at least one fire and had been admitted to a psychiatric ward.
Abstract
Their firesetting behavior has been related to variables such as age, IQ, and psychiatric disorder in parents, and to the distinction between children who present with firesetting as their chief problem and those in whom it is a secondary complaint. Thirty subjects were followed up after one to five years. Seven, all boys and all less than 13 years old, were still setting fires, but these were less serious than the ones set before treatment. The persistent firesetters may have come from less stable homes and they tended to be more antisocial at follow-up than children who no longer set fires. (Author abstract)