EUKN - United Kingdom - Evaluation of interventions with arsonists and young firesetters

Evaluation of interventions with arsonists and young firesetters

Introduction

Evaluates intervention schemes run by fire and rescue services and other stakeholders, aimed at arsonists and young firesetters.

Description

This report:

evaluates intervention schemes aimed at arsonists and young firesetters; and
presents the results from a review of the literature, a survey of current practice, and specific site visits.

Background information

Fires attributed to arson form the largest group of major fires within the UK. According to Home Office figures from 2002, 50% of reported incidents involved a juvenile. The cost of arson is high, in both financial and non-financial terms. The project was commissioned by the Arson Control Forum in order to establish good practice in interventions with arsonists and firesetters, and to match this against practice across England and Wales

Methodology

The research involved an extensive literature review of the principles of best practice in intervening with arsonists and firesetters, a survey of organisations involved in the delivery of interventions in England and Wales, and site visits to a number of organisations.

Conclusions

This report concludes that more interventions exist for young firesetters than adult arsonists, and work with adult arsonists is typically carried out with mental health populations. Other key findings include:

there is a lack of emphasis placed on theory and research in determining the content of interventions;
there is a pressing need to set up better systems to evaluate the effectiveness of interventions, in terms of both cost and outcome; and
there is a lack of existing provision for more serious arsonists, particularly once adulthood is reached.

Contact info

Office of the Deputy Prime Minister
Phone: +44 870 120 7405
odpm@twoten.press.net

Publication date

01/03/2004

Project finished

Researcher

Emma Palmer, Laura Caulfield and Clive Hollin

Links

Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (now Department for Communities and Local Government)

Evaluation of interventions with arsonists and young firesetters (PDF, Eng, 647KB)

Document type

research

Themes

Urban Policy > Security & crime prevention > Anti-crime policy

Keywords

Youth crime