Who commits arson?

Findings revealed that most serial arsonists were young white males; 58.7 percent of fires were set by offenders before 18 years of age, and 79.7 percent were set before 29 years of age.

Who are victims of arson?

The victims are typically family members and relatives, employers, or lovers. Even though victims are usually associates of the arsonist, hate groups tend to start fires in places of worship and religious dwellings in which the arsonist does not typically know the victim.

Why do arsonists commit arson?

Arson can be used as a weapon of revenge or motivated by some other conniving, covert, destructive aim, but fire-setting is also an irresistible compulsion for some, recognized as a form of mental illness.

Are arsonists usually male?

Abstract. This paper is a detailed study of a sample of 15 female arsonists. A review of the literature suggests that arson is seen more frequently in males with female firesetters usually comprising 10 to 18% of the samples of firesetters studied.

What percent of serial arsonists are male?

Most serial arsonists are young, white (82 percent) males (94 percent).

Why People Commit Arson

Are there female arsonists?

Women make up only a small percentage of arsonists, said Wang, a fourth-year medical student at McMaster University. "It's hard to know the true number, but in most studies [the ratio of males to females] is somewhere between 5 to 1 and 10 to 1."

What sort of person becomes an arsonist?

Of those arsonists referred for psychiatric assessment, between 8 and 76 percent have a diagnosis of schizophrenia or other psychotic disorders. Mental retardation and low intellectual functioning have also received considerable attention in the arson and firesetting literature.

Are arsonists sociopaths?

The organized arsonist is the most difficult to detect of all violent serial offenders, but he is like the others in that he's clearly sociopathic: He's indifferent to societal values, lacking in empathy, hedonistic, breathtakingly egocentric and manipulative, often intelligent and charming -- and wears the mask of ...

Are arsonists mentally ill?

90% of arsonists had recorded mental health histories, and of those 36% had the major mental illness of schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. 64% were abusing alcohol or drugs at the time of their firesetting. Pyromania was only diagnosed in three of the 283 cases.

What leads people to arson?

Revenge, Excitement, Arousal

Still, there are other motivations: "Revenge, excitement, and thrills are also big factors, and rarely, but certainly, there are people who are sexually aroused by fire," he says. In some cases, fire investigators have found evidence of sexual gratification at arson sites.

Are arsonists psychopaths?

Such individuals are frequently referred to as psychopaths. They have a reckless disregard for the safety of self or others. They show no remorse for harm caused to others. Most repeat psychopathic arsonists also abuse alcohol and/or drugs, and dramatically increased their usage right before the fire-setting.

What are the 3 types of arson?

Repetitive fire setting is broken down into three classifications. The classifications are: serial arson, spree arson and mass arson. Serial arson is as many as three fires set at different locations and each fire has a cooling off period between the sets.

Why do arsonists set fires?

Revenge-motivated arsonists feel as if they need to retaliate to gain satisfaction. Such arsons can be divided into personal revenge and societal, institutional, and group retaliation, according to the United States Fire Association, a federal agency that provides fire data and fire education and research.

What is an example of arson?

The definition of arson is the act of purposely setting fire to a building or area. An example of arson would be when a person sets their home on fire to collect the insurance.

Are all arsonists pyromaniacs?

Although an arsonist can have pyromania, most arsonists don't have it. They may, however, have other diagnosable mental health conditions or be socially isolated. At the same time, a person with pyromania may not commit an act of arson.

Who is the most famous arsonist?

Thomas A. Sweatt is a convicted serial arsonist. One of the most prolific arsonists in American history, Sweatt set over 350 fires in and around Washington, D.C., most of which occurred in 2003 and 2004.

What is an obsession with fire called?

Pyromania, the term for pathological fire setting, is a rare disorder characterized by the intentional and repeated setting of fires. People with pyromania are deeply fascinated by fire and related paraphernalia.

Why do pyromaniacs start fires?

Pyromania is an impulse control disorder in which individuals repeatedly fail to resist impulses to deliberately start fires, in order to relieve some tension or for instant gratification.

What do all arsonists have in common?

Arsonists tend to be minimally educated and an underachievers. He or she generally has poor interpersonal relationships and is socially inadequate. Often he or she is unemployed and if the arsonist has an employment history it is erratic and involves little or no skill.

What makes a serial arsonist?

Definition of Serial Arson

The FBI describes serial arson as "three or more fire setting episodes, with a characteristic emotional cooling-off period between fires". Arsonists that only set two arson fires or are arrested after setting two arson fires, are dubbed spree arsonists.

How is pyromania treated?

Your doctor may prescribe medicines to help manage your pyromania. Cognitive behavior therapy is also used to treat pyromania. Cognitive behavior therapy may include: Identifying the cause of the impulse.

Which of the following is part of the initial procedure that officers should take when responding to an explosion quizlet?

Which of the following is part of the initial procedure that officers should take when responding to an explosion? Establish procedures to document personnel entering and exiting the scene. Pipe bombs, nail bombs, and other bombs disguised to escape detection are referred to as: IED's Improvised explosive devices.

How do you identify an arsonist?