What is it about?
This study evaluates whether a structured fire safety education programme can prevent repeat firesetting among adults—a group for whom standardised interventions are scarce. Using a one-group pretest-posttest design, the actual rate of fire recidivism among 93 programme participants was compared to expected rates based on their prior firesetting history. The findings showed a significant reduction in reoffending, suggesting the programme had a strong preventive effect.
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Why is it important?
Adult firesetting is a high-risk behaviour with serious safety implications, yet interventions for this group lack robust evidence. This research provides the first empirically validated example of a structured educational programme for adult firesetters, offering a practical and operationally efficient approach to evaluation in safety-critical contexts where traditional controlled trials are often infeasible.
Perspectives
This project was particularly rewarding because it addressed a gap in both practice and research. Firesetting is often overlooked compared to other forms of offending, yet its consequences can be catastrophic. Demonstrating that structured fire safety education can significantly reduce adult firesetting, offers a practical, evidence-informed tool for harm prevention.
DR DOMINIC A PEARSON
University of Portsmouth
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Outcome evaluation of an educational programme for preventing recidivism by adult firesetters, Journal of Criminological Research Policy and Practice, March 2022, Emerald,
DOI: 10.1108/jcrpp-06-2021-0030.
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