Backgrounds and characteristics of arsonists (original) (raw)
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Schizophrenia Bulletin, 2009
Background: The association of psychosis with certain serious crimes, such as homicide, has been clearly demonstrated, but it is uncertain to what extent psychotic disorders are associated with arson. Methods: We used a case-control design to investigate the association of being diagnosed with schizophrenia and other psychoses and committing arson. Data were obtained from Swedish national registers for criminal convictions, hospital discharge diagnoses (International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision [ICD-9], and International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision [ICD-10]), and sociodemographic factors for 1988-2000. We included all convicted arson offenders of both sexes in Sweden (N 5 1689) and compared them with a random sample of general population control subjects (N 5 40 560). Results: After adjustment for sociodemographic confounders, arson offenders were more likely to be diagnosed with schizophrenia (in men, adjusted odds ratio [OR] 5 22.6, 95% confidence interval [CI] 5 14.8-34.4; in women, adjusted OR 5 38.7, 95% CI 5 20.4-73.5) or other psychoses (in men, adjusted OR 5 17.4, 95% CI 5 11. in women, adjusted OR 5 30.8,. Conclusions: Individuals with schizophrenia and other psychoses have significantly increased risks of an arson conviction. These risk estimates are higher than those reported for other violent crimes and place arson in the same category as homicide as crimes that are most strongly associated with psychotic disorders.
Psychotic versus non-psychotic firesetters: similarities and differences in characteristics
The Journal of Forensic Psychiatry & Psychology, 2015
Firesetters with psychotic disorders constitute a distinct and important offender group. However, little is known about how psychotic firesetters differ from non-psychotic firesetters. More knowledge is required in order to treat this particular population effectively. Psychotic (n = 30) and nonpsychotic (n = 94) firesetters of both sexes referred for pre-trial forensic mental health assessment in the Netherlands were compared on sociodemographic, pathological, judicial and event-related characteristics using binary and multivariate statistical tests. Results showed that psychotic firesetters were older, single and unemployed. They had a more extensive history of mental health problems, associated drug use and impaired selfreliance. Opposed to non-psychotic offenders, physical abuse in childhood and alcohol abuse were less prevalent. They had a more extensive history of prior convictions, committed the arsons more often alone and were less often intoxicated. Treatment implications are discussed as focusing treatment on these differences may contribute to treatment efficacy and prevention of recidivism.
Firesetting Patterns, Symptoms and Motivations of Insanity Acquittees Charged with Arson Offences
Psychiatry, Psychology and Law, 2014
The relationship between mental illness and firesetting remains poorly understood, with limited guidance available for clinicians required to assess mentally ill firesetters. The aim of this study was to describe firesetting behaviour, psychiatric symptoms and motivations at the time of firesetting and identify firesetter sub-groups. Arson offences referred to a Mental Health Court over a 10-year period were reviewed. Data were collected from files of 59 individuals using a structured proforma. Persecutory delusions were found to be prevalent (68%) and 58% of fires were at the patient's residence. Motivations for firesetting primarily revolved around psychosis (88%), revenge6 anger (34%) and suicide (20%). Only three persons were recorded as having juvenile firesetting histories. Cluster analysis identified three sub-groups labelled "angryÀantisocial," "spree firesetters" and "persecutedÀsuicidal."
Psychology, Crime & Law, 2015
ABSTRACT In the Netherlands pre-trial forensic mental health assessments are conducted to examine whether a mental disorder was present at the time of the offence that affected the free will of a person, in which case criminal accountability is considered diminished or absent. This study aims to investigate societal changes over time in forensic mental health recommendations in arson cases. 72 reports of male arsonists assessed in 1950-2010 were included in this study, 36 arsonists were assessed in the first time period (1950-1979) and 36 in the second period (1980-2010). Results show an association between DSM classification and the conclusion on criminal accountability only in the first period and an association between recidivism risk and the forensic mental health recommendation only in the later period. It is concluded that mental disorder was of greater influence on the conclusion on accountability in the first time period, whilst dangerousness played a more important role on the forensic mental health recommendation in the later time period. Our findings reflect a shift from paternalistic principles to principles of risk control and show that societal changes influence the field of forensic mental health.
MEDICINA LEGAL Mental disorders and criminal responsibility in arsonists ଝ
Introduction: The purpose of the study is to describe arsonists in their demographic, psychiatric and criminological dimensions and to explore factors associated with the expert opinion of insanity. Material and methods: A series of cases accused of arson and assessed in the adult Psychiatric Unit of the Legal Medical Service of Chile, during the period 1999-2012 (N = 197) is described. With a cases and controls design, the factors associated with the opinion of insanity are explored. Results: The series of cases had a high prevalence of mental disorders, social and family problems. Expert opinion compatible with the condition of criminal responsibility was achieved in 52.3% of the cases; and in 24.4% it was compatible with insanity and in 23.3% with diminished criminal responsibility. Conclusions: The conditions of insanity and diminished criminal responsibility, grouped together as ''expert opinion of altered criminal responsibility'' were significantly associated with bizarre behaviour, pathological motivation, emotional motivation, self-harm and cooperative attitude of the accused.
Historically, human beings have had a long and intense fascination with fire. Once it was realized that the powers of this phenomenon could be harnessed and manipulated to suit the needs of the individual who wished to control it, a new and deadly category of criminal activity arose, the act of arson. Deliberate firesetting, or incendiarism, is one of the most malevolent and potent forms of maladaptive behavior that is spawned by the criminal mind. It is also one of the least understood and infrequently studied behaviors because of problems such as design complications, biased sampling, unreliable subjects, and reporting errors and inconsistencies. However, data gathered over the previous years have significantly increased our knowledge surrounding various aspects of the arsonist, and yielded several hypotheses that explain why an individual engages in willful firesetting activities. This article will provide a comprehensive review of the literature surrounding arson in an attempt to better understand those whose obsession with fire ceases to be extinguished.
Explanations of Firesetting in Mentally Disordered Offenders: A Review of the Literature
Psychiatry: Interpersonal and Biological Processes, 2012
This paper reviews current explanations of firesetting in adult mentally disordered offenders. In particular attention is given to contemporary research that has examined the developmental and background characteristics, personality and associated traits, motivation for firesetting, neurobiological explanations, psychiatric diagnoses and frequency of self injurious behaviour;
BMC psychiatry, 2005
Background: As pyromania is a rare diagnosis with questionable validity, we aimed to describe a forensic psychiatric population of arson recidivists. Methods: The medical records as well as the forensic psychiatric examination statements of 90 arson recidivists referred for pretrial psychiatric assessment in Helsinki University Hospital Department of Forensic Psychiatry between 1973 and 1993 were reviewed. Results: The most important diagnostic categories of arson recidivists were personality disorders, psychosis and mental retardation, often with comorbid alcoholism. In all, 68% of arsonists were under alcohol intoxication during the index crime. Psychotic as well as mentally retarded persons with repeated fire-setting behaviour were mostly "pure arsonists"-persons guilty only of arsons during their criminal careers. Arson recidivists with personality disorder, in contrast, often exhibited various types of criminal behaviour and arson appeared to be only one expression of a wide range of criminal activity. Comorbid alcoholism was apparently a more rarely observed phenomenon among pure arsonists than in "nonpure arsonists". We found only three subjects fulfilling the present diagnostic criteria for pyromania. Conclusion: Using the criteria of the DSM-IV-TR, pyromania must be regarded as an extremely rare phenomenon. Especially the question of substance intoxication as an exclusion criterion for pyromania should be reconsidered.
Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy, 2013
Background: Arson and fire-setting are highly prevalent among patients in secure psychiatric settings but there is an absence of valid and reliable assessment instruments and no evidence of a significant approach to intervention. Aims: To develop a semi-structured interview assessment specifically for fire-setting to augment structured assessments of risk and need. Method: The extant literature was used to frame interview questions relating to the antecedents, behaviour and consequences necessary to formulate a functional analysis. Questions also covered readiness to change, fire-setting self-efficacy, the probability of future fire-setting, barriers to change, and understanding of fire-setting behaviour. The assessment concludes with indications for assessment and a treatment action plan. The inventory was piloted with a sample of women in secure care and was assessed for comprehensibility, reliability and validity. Results: Staff rated the St Andrews Fire and Risk Instrument (SAFARI) as acceptable to patients and easy to administer. SAFARI was found to be comprehensible by over 95% of the general population, to have good acceptance, high internal reliability, substantial test-retest reliability and validity. Conclusions: SAFARI helps to provide a clear explanation of fire-setting in terms of the complex interplay of antecedents and consequences and facilitates the design of an individually tailored treatment programme in sympathy with a cognitive-behavioural approach. Further studies are needed to verify the reliability and validity of SAFARI with male populations and across settings. indicate that about one in ten of those admitted to a forensic psychiatric service has a history of fire-setting. The term firesetter (an individual who deliberately sets fires) refers to a broader group of individuals than those convicted of a crime of arson (Dickens and Sugarman, 2012). Fire-setting is the term used throughout this article except where the term arson is accurate in the context of the quoted research. A survey of psychiatrists about the dangers posed by firesetters revealed significant professional concern about such patients (Sugarman and Dickens, 2009). There is a range of mental disorders, sometimes comorbid, frequently associated with arson, although pyromania, a psychiatric disorder specifically concerned with pathological fire-setting, is rare . Rice and Harris (1991) reviewed the clinical files of 243 male firesetters (of whom only one met the diagnostic criteria for pyromania) admitted to a Canadian maximum security psychiatric facility. The most common diagnoses were personality disorder, which was evident in over one-half of the sample, and schizophrenia, prevalent in about one-third of the sample. Enayati, Grann, Lubbe and Fazel (2008) reviewed the diagnoses of 214 arsonists (59 women and 155 men) referred for inpatient psychiatric assessment. They reported that the most frequently observed diagnoses for both males and females were for substance use disorders, personality disorders, and psychoses (typically schizophrenia). Alcohol use disorders were more prevalent in the female arsonists. Labree, Nijman, van Marle and Rassin (2010) reported that, when compared to similar patients, arsonists were more likely to have received psychiatric treatment prior to their offence and to have a history of severe alcohol abuse. The arsonists were less likely to have a major psychotic disorder, although delusional thinking was judged to play a causal role in the fire-setting in just over one-half of the cases. In a sample of female arsonists drawn from the prison population, Noblett and Nelson (2001) also noted high levels of childhood sexual abuse and deliberate self-harm.
Differentiating arsonists: A model of firesetting actions and characteristics
Legal and Criminological Psychology, 1998
It is hypothesized that there will be behavioural consistencies in the actions of arsonists when committing a crime that characterize them. The themes underlying these observable differences can be used to help us understand the nature of the offence. With arson, one such observable difference is hypothesized to relate to the target or focus of the attack. The study tested whether consistencies could be found that distinguish person-oriented from object-oriented arsons. A second proposed facet of arson actions relates to the motivational category underlying the act, being either instrumental or expressive. It was also hypothesized, therefore, that there would be a distinction in the arson actions between fires set for a clear instrumental purpose, and those which may be regarded as emotional acting-out. The hypothesis that these four themes would differentiate arsonists was tested by analysing 175 solved arson cases from across England. The case files were content analysed to produce 42 behavioural variables taken from both the crime reports and witness statements. In order to test the hypotheses of differentiation a smallest space analysis was carried out.