Arson

Question 1

Arson

Answer 1

Criminal damage using fire
- Criminal damage act 1971
- attempt to destroy/damage property- offence against property
-in doing so might harm people/ take life

other definitions-

deliberate fires: where motive- thought/ suspected to be deliberate
-include arson but not the same

Fire setting: refers to juveniles setting deliberate fires
- age of criminal responsibility- 10

Question 2

Stats

Answer 2

3600- deliberate fires per week
60- Injuries per week
2- Deaths per week

Financial costs- £40m per week - immediate response, rescue, building cost, criminal justice- capture arsonist- HOME OFFICE

Question 3

Prevalance stats

Answer 3

Year to March 2022.
Fire and rescue call outs= 69,000 cases of arson

percentage of all fires attended
45% arson
55% other fires

Year to March 2023

246 fatal fires

-men more likely to die/ injured in a fire- ongoing trend from 2010

Fire fatalities
Men- 162, 64%
Women- 90, 36%

Injuries
Men- 3621, 60%
Women- 2426, 40%

Question 4

Fire types

Answer 4

Primary Fires

-more serious
-non derelict building
- involves casualties/ rescues
- 5 or more pumping appliances

66,753 38%

Secondary

All other fires

109,444 62%

Question 5

Characteristics of adult firesetters

Answer 5

Southill et al 2004
-Research started in 1950s looked at profiles of arsonists- changes over years

-More likely to be male
-rise of female arsonists- 1950s 1 in 25 female arsonists. 2001s 1 in 7 females arsonists

-generally quite young
-1960s av. male age 18. females age 24
-1980s men- 20 age
-2000s - 23

Women- static- remain age. 24- until 2000s- age went up to 27- old for criminal behaviour

Age range- men (10- 77)
women (10-67)

45/55 % of arsonists- have previous convictions

only 5/6 % had previous conviction of arson
violence- 20%
theft- 28.2
criminal damage- 23.4%

Question 6

Juvenile characteristics

Answer 6

Likely to be
-Male
-have fascination of fire from early age
- range of problem behaviours- antisocial behaviour, animal cruelty, drug/ alc use from early age
- range of psychological factors- poor interpersonal skills, impulsivity, high anger, try to be assertive- but more aggressive when negotiating, poor problem solving skills

• females- high range of anxiety/depression

-Clive Hollin- early 2000s research- more movement in educational establishments- by age 15 been to 3-5 skls- history of truancy/bad behav
-disruptive family experiences- lack of supervision, conflicts, stress, orphans

MacDonald 1963- triad- predicted of violent behaviours in adulthood
- if you see all three- animal cruelty, fire setting, bed wetting- in young individuals- almost always behaviour will be there in adulthood

Collins- 2020- disputed- doesnt always mean deffo violent adulthood

Question 7

Reoffending

Answer 7

Do arsonists/firesetters commit further arson?

• Soothill 1950s-70s- not often: less than 5% reconvicted for arson offences
  -increased- recent years- 10.7%

Do arsonists commit further offences- diff type?

Yes- around 50%- reconviction for other offence
recent years- increase to 70%

Question 8

Intellectual functioning/ arson

Answer 8

Dickens et al. 2008 looked at IQ of firesetters

-43% of firesetters reffered for psychiatric assessment in his sample had an IQ lower than 85. 88/205 ppts- 43%

Also, did work looking at behaviour assosciations

Lower end IQ- more fires than higher IQ
-lower IQ- also lower level fire setting- bins etc
-didnt differ in terms of range/extent previous convictions

Comorbidity- Collins- looked at autism/firesetting
-found individuals- quite similar- needs for firesetting
-additional personal/social issues with autism

Question 9

Mental illness/ Arson

Answer 9

10% of forensic psychiatric patients- committed arson (individuals who are held in secure settings)

-carried out criminal act- also show signs of mental illness
-tend to be the most mentally ill within criminal justice system- not always the case

Comparisons- research done to compare- forensic psych patients- who committed arson/hadnt

Firesetters:
-younger
-have a history of unusual interest in fire
-more likely to- history violence/ spent time in institution

Repeat firesetters:
-Younger by 4 years. mean= 26 yrs
-greater history- violence/ criminal behaviours

Question 10

Types of mentally disordered firesetters

Answer 10

Harris & Rice, 1996

Psychotics- 33% of sample- Schizo- Low Crime- Delusional- low alcohol

UnAssertives- normal education- 28%- PD- low cime - Anger/Revenge (motive)- High alcohol- perhaps didnt communicate in prosocial way- set fire instead

Multi firesetters- 23%- PD- Low crime- anger/excitement- low alc- range of locations

Criminals- 16%- PD- high crime- high alcohol

PD- personality disorder

Question 11

Pyromania

Answer 11

-rare condition
-6 criteria need to be met for pyromania diagnosis

1. someone deliberately sets more than one fire
2. tension/ affect of arousal before setting fire
3. someones interest level with fire/ related things
4. gratification, relief, pleasure- setting fire- or immediately fire
5. setting fires- cant be for money/ revenge/ anger/ improve ones living conditions/ bc of psychosis
6. fire setting- not better accounted for by conduct disorder/ anti social personality disorder
   -but lots of comorbidity with diagnoses- substance abuse/ depression/ bipolar

Unknown prevalance- in US- v low

-even in criminal justice system- only 3% of firesetters meet conditions of pyromania

Question 12

Evidence pyromania

Answer 12

Finnish study- Lindberg et al

401 arsonists- reffered for psychiatric assesment
-90 of these- repeat arsonists
-only 3 met DSM-IV-TR criteria

Less than 1% of original sample- pure arsonists- setting fires for gratification

Question 13

Typologies

Answer 13

Look at typologies- to try and understand general behaviour patterns- provides insights into motives/ methods/ traits
- can we useful for guiding investigations
-useful for risk assessments
-research result comparisons

Question 14

Prin’s Typology of Arsonists

Answer 14

-Groups types of arsonists according to motivations

Mental Illness- Sz- voices- delusional beliefs-( motivation- internal factors)- irrational/ no clear goal- symptoms of illness

Revenge- retaliation against- person, group, institution- specific target

Political- set in name of a cause- to disrupt- gain attention- often extremists, terrorists, demonstrators

Crime concealment- motiv- to avoid detection/ prosecution- planned for- destroy crime evidence

Profit motivated- for financial gain- set fire- claim insurance etc- planned- set fire to competitor- financial motive

Attention seeking- to gain attention- need for validation- outlet for feelings of neglect- set fires- visible location

Question 15

Eval Prin’s Typology

Answer 15

Contradiction- Arson- an offence against property - but often target is individual-

Arson can be retaliatary- revenge motive- but also completely not- crime concealment etc- not targeting individual

Question 16

Action System Model

Canter and Fritzon 1998

Answer 16

Looked at what actually happens within a crime- behaviours of arsonists- wanted to help clinicians/ investigators

-looked at crime reports/ witness statements- 175 solved arson cases- identified crime scene behaviours
-looked at interrelation between variables- found 42 crime scene variables
-plotted them to see how often co-occurred within diff crimes

-used smallest space analysis
-identified two dichotamies in data- 4 groups

-person oriented or object oriented
-expressive or instrumental. (expressing emotions or motive behind it- intrumental- solve something)

-expressive object- mostly serial arsonists- general repeated
can co occur
Objective expressive- setting fire to church etc- express emotion
object instrumental- arson for- personal benefit/ crime concealment- set fire to factory- robbery- gain financial- instrumental motive

Question 17

Serial Arsonists

Answer 17

Kocsis and Cooksey 2002- looked at research- 3 or more fires- found high degree of planning

-less impulsive

Wachi et al 2007- Japan- cases serial arson

-6% of entire body- 708 cases- committed five/more arson offences
-of that 6%- 6% women

-66%= expressive motive- state emotional distress- residential areas- close to own home- became excited by fire- stayed close to watch fire

33%- instrumental- targeted buildings away from home- revenge, conceal crime- typically theft

Question 18

Theories of Arson

Answer 18

few theoretical models

-early psychodynamic accounts- Freud- link between fire, enuresis and sexual desire

-Kaufman, heims, reiser- instinctual drives such as aggression and anxiety explain firesetting

-little support

Question 19

Learning theory

Answer 19

Curri et al 2003- survey of toy packaging in national store

Found 404 toys portraying fire
— 97% aimed at boys- can argue this why boys r more involved in fire
- doesnt explain why not all boys are involved in fire- most children exposed to similar toys

Greenhalgh/Palmeri 2003- TV and media accounts of fire
-looking at how it portrayed fire- whether concern (burns/ injuries) or if it glorified fire
—media mainly aimed at boys
—largely ignored risks associated with fire

SLT- fire is pleasantly reinforced- sensory pleasurable- to watch/ sit infront of etc- HOWEVER doesnt explain why not everyone is a firesetter
Attentional- motivation- fire tends to draw crowd- if attention seeking- reinforces behaviour if intention is attention

Question 20

Multi-Factor Theory

Gannon et al 2012

Answer 20

Multi Trajectory Theory of Adult Firesetting (M-TTAF)

-interpretive theory- built on previous theories
-describes how firesetting develops (aetiology of theory)- also maintenance/ desisting

4 key psych issues assosciated w firesetting

-Inappropriate fire interests/ scripts
-Generally offence supported cognition- generally criminal genic background
-Self/ emotional regulation issues- impulsive- emotion control struggle
-Communication issues- cant communicate thoughts well- express with fire

Question 21

M-TTAF

Answer 21

-Two tier theory

First tier- presents overall theoretical framework- outlines factors involved- and interactions

Second tier- proposes five prototypical trajectories- typing-

— if only presented with first tier theory (clinician)- can be overwhelming
—if can go into 5 trajectories- can hep guide identify the individual you are working with
-helps guide clinician in consultations- shortcut

Question 22

Tier 1 theory

Answer 22

Distal factors- developmental context:

—Caregiver environments- attachemnts/abuse
—learning- social, aggresive
—cultural forces- fire beliefs/ attitudes
—biology/temperment- cog function/ brain structure

Proximal factors/ triggers
—life events
—contextual factors
—internal affect/ cognition
—biology
—culture

Psychological vulnerabilites

—Inappropriate fire interest
—Offence supportive attitudes
—self/ emotional regulation issues
—communication issues

Developmental contexts- bring about psychological vulnerabilities
—vulnerabilities lay dormant- until interacted with proximal factors— makes them critical risk factors

Moderators:
—mental health
—feelings of self esteem

Can trigger- to become critical risk factor- leads into potential to set fires

e.g someone with preexisting vulnerabilities- poor emotional issues- impulsive- fire interest- etc- then paired with life issues (debt etc)— increases strong internal negative effect- may feel anger/hopeless- triggers current abilities (fire interest)/ emotional regulation— into critical risk factors— fire viewed as only viable response- if evicted from house- burn down- no one else can have it- problem solve

Reinforcement:
-Consequences of fire settings- both positively/negatively reinforced

-Positive- if successful conceal crime- postive reinforce- next time think ab doing the same thing- conceal crime- got away with
-Negative- if leads to further societal rejection- more intense supervision- if known firesetter- further entrench psych vulnerabilites- further triggers- can trigger to become critical risk factors

Desistance/identity change:

-Cognitive transformation- rehab/ change in life circumstance- can trigger identity change- ppl dont see themselves as firesetters any longer- more external opportunities- social standing improved- reducing psychological vulnerabilities- less triggered when events happen

Question 23

Tier 2

Answer 23

5 trajectories type. Prominent risk factor. Potential clincial features. Potential motivators

Antisocial Offence supported attitudes. Antisocial/impulsive/ conduct. Vandalism/ boredom/ revenge
disorder/ APD

Grievance. Self regulation issues. low assertiveness/ poor communication. revenge/retribution
anger hostility

Fire Interest. Inappropriate interest facsination, impulsivity- fire support attitude. Interest/thrill/stress/boredom

Emotionally expressive. Communication issues. poor communication/impulsive/depression/PD. cry for help// self harm/ suicide/ need for recognition

Multi faceted. Offence supported attitudes. Criminal behav/ fire interest/ antisocial
innappropriate interest fire. Conduct/ APD. Various

Question 24

Interventions- Firesetting Intervention Programme for Prisoners

FIPP - Gannon- 2012

Answer 24

— 28 week programme- 2 hour sessions each week- group
—Weekly individual support session- up to one hour length

4 components- model is focused on:

—fire related factors- targets problematic interest/assosciation w fire- teaches fire safety/prevention- psychoeducational- aids ppl to understand firesetting

—offence supportive cognition- looks at cogntive restructuring- address attitudes supporting violence/ anti social behav

—emotional regulation- looks at role of anger/arousal in work- how it feeds into offending behaviour— develop indiv. effective strategies for regulating anger

—Social competence- psychoeducational- exercises to practice assertiveness over aggressiveness- work on relationships/ thoughts/ self esteem

Key focus of program- become more aware of firesetting/ consequences- support development of coping skills - so they wont need to resort to firesetting

Question 25

Intervention

Dominic Pearson- FIRE-P 2022

Answer 25

Delivered by fire and rescue service

—ab fire safety awareness
— for adults with convictions for deliberate firesetting

—when people leave prison- homeless- especially firesetters- difficult to get accomodation- fire history

—Pearson developed program- working with fire service- provide program— to increase likelihood of housing assosciations- housing firesetters
—bc risk factor- if street homeless after prison- more likely to commit crime

—holistic risk management- support integration into safe housing