Systematic Review on the Effectiveness of Primary Prevention and Secondary Intervention Programs Aimed at Reducing Youth Misuse of Fire

Abstract

Numerous intervention programs exist for youth misuse of fire, yet integrative reviews evaluating their effectiveness remain limited. This systematic review, conducted following PRISMA guidelines, included 21 studies (14 primary prevention and 7 secondary interventions) with a total of 4,735 youth. For primary prevention, N = 2,385 youth aged 3–11 years were included (944 males and 911 females), although one study did not specify its sample size, and six studies did not disclose participant gender. Secondary interventions included N = 2,350 youth aged 3–17 years (2,115 males and 235 females). Primary prevention programs demonstrated effectiveness in increasing children’s fire safety skills and knowledge, especially when interactive and consistently reinforced. However, digital education programs without corrective feedback often led to misinterpretation. Secondary education-based interventions showed limited effectiveness in reducing recidivism rates. Notably, cognitive behavioral therapy was found to be effective for youth who often present with deeper-rooted causes of firesetting, although these findings derived from a single study. The existing literature is insufficient to identify how demographic factors impact primary prevention and secondary intervention outcomes, highlighting the need for methodologically rigorous research. Whilst primary prevention shows consistent evidence in increasing fire safety knowledge, more evidence is required to identify effective secondary intervention practices.