Ellithy Ayah, Hawke Lisa D, Ward Ashley, Henderson Joanna
Margaret and Wallace McCain Centre for Child, Youth and Family Mental Health, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Child Psychiatry Hum Dev. 2022 Apr;53(2):307-316. doi: 10.1007/s10578-021-01122-9. Epub 2021 Feb 3.
Child fireplay may be regarded as developmentally appropriate, yet can negatively impact those who engage in it and those around them. This study discusses the mental health, fire-specific, and psychosocial risk factors of children who set fires. Fifty-seven caregivers reported on their children's demographics, firesetting behaviors, mental health symptoms, and family history. Children were aged 2-6 years and the majority were male. Most children used lighters and matches on paper and small objects. The majority of the children were motivated by curiosity. Children who set more fires had more externalizing symptoms, and were more likely to have accomplices, to have been exposed to firesetting media, and to have been disciplined or punished for their firesetting behaviors. The study identifies important psychosocial risk factors among young children who set fires. Given the long-term implications of firesetting, understanding firesetting in children will set the foundation of intervention and prevention models.
儿童玩火可能被认为在发育上是正常的，但会对玩火的儿童及其周围的人产生负面影响。本研究讨论了纵火儿童的心理健康、与火灾相关的因素以及社会心理风险因素。57名照顾者报告了他们孩子的人口统计学信息、纵火行为、心理健康症状和家族病史。儿童年龄在2至6岁之间，大多数为男性。大多数儿童使用打火机和火柴点燃纸张和小物件。大多数儿童是出于好奇。纵火次数较多的儿童有更多外化症状，更有可能有共犯，接触过纵火相关媒体，并且因纵火行为受到过纪律处分或惩罚。该研究确定了纵火幼儿中重要的社会心理风险因素。鉴于纵火的长期影响，了解儿童纵火行为将为干预和预防模式奠定基础。
