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'Don't ignore it': Intervention needed for children setting fires, psychologist says

Tribune-Democrat - 6/18/2022

Jun. 18—JOHNSTOWN, Pa. — It might be just youthful curiosity or a smoldering "cry for help" — but if children are setting fires, parents should not dismiss that behavior as a passing phase, a local psychologist cautioned.

Parents should talk with their children about safety — and local fire departments and psychological professionals can help in that regard, clinical psychologist Mary Berge said.

Fire departments, which go into schools during Fire Safety Week to educate children about the topic, often have resources to help parents and caregivers.

"Sometimes young children are setting fires simply out of curiosity or accidentally while playing with fire, matches or lighters," Berge said. "Children in this category often need educated on just how dangerous fire can be, as they are most likely unaware."

But when the act becomes deliberate or repetitive, the behavior can be a much more serious matter, she said.

"When a child deliberately sets fires, or is setting fires repetitively, even when disciplined in the past or being told not to, there may be a deeper psychological problem that needs addressed professionally," Berge told The Tribune-Democrat.

She said fire-setting could be a child's way of sending a signal about troubles she or he is having personally, at home, at school or within the family.

The actions may also be signs of an underlying problem that should be addressed, such as depression, anxiety or attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, Berge said.

Fire-setting is also a potential precursor to more serious behavioral disorders such as oppositional defiant disorder — which often involves hostility toward authority figures and peers, aggression and vindictive behavior that lasts for more than six months, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Berge fire-setting can also be a precursor to other potentially violent emotional issues, such as conduct disorder — and when left untreated often results in youth with little empathy for others, property or rules.

"It's so important that you find out why they are setting fires," added Jim Buday, a retired firefighter who has worked for years as a juvenile fire setters intervention program instructor.

Buday is one of several people in the community vying to launch a Cambria County program to work with youth at fault for setting property fires.

"Not every child needs mental health treatment, but that's what the evaluations are for," he said.

Berge agreed.

"If your child is setting fires, you should not ignore it ...," she said. "No matter what the underlying reason, parents must begin to explore what might be causing the behavior, since its consequences are deadly.

"It is best to consult with a psychological professional, when fire-setting occurs, to rule out more serious psychological causes."

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