Deliberate fire setting is a significant social problem that causes millions of dollars of property damage each year. Of particular concern is that a high proportion of these arson offences are committed by children and adolescents. Adolescent firesetters are a unique and diverse group, variant in their motivations, needs and behaviour and distinct from their adult counterparts. 

The study of fire setting has been approached in a number of ways and thus the existing body of research lacks a coherent, consistent and comprehensive set of empirical findings. This presentation describes the largest study ever undertaken on children who deliberately light fires. With a sample of nearly 1,800 children it considers the potential relationships between firesetting typologies, risk factors, developmental trajectories and treatment. It considers the extent to which firesetting can be considered within the framework of antisocial behavior, possible predictors of future criminal behaviour and what implications such a relationship may have for clinical practice for both fire services internationally as well as mental health services.