If I make a child light hundreds of matches, will it deter his/her firesetting behavior?
It will most likely be unsuccessful. Children have most likely learned their firesetting behavior through social learning (i.e. observation and imitation) and are interested in experimenting with this observed behavior. Within this context, lighting matches may serve as a reinforcer rather than a deterrent. Repetition or rehearsal is one of the most common and successful forms of increasing a child’s ability to repeat or recall a given behavior at a future time (i.e. rehearsal increases a child’s ability to remember). Observation and imitation, compounded by rehearsal, can reinforce the behavior making it very difficult to deter. Educationally, a good way to deter a child from continuing firesetting behavior is to: • Educate the parents/caregivers on how to significantly limit the child’s access to ignition sources • Educate parents/caregivers on child supervision techniques and responsibilities • Teach the child, in a cognitively appropriate manner, how to make consistently good choic
