Rebekah Doley

Arsonists in our midst

Rebekah Doley — Wed, 03 Oct 2012 16:05:19 PDT

The evolution of child fire involvement

Rebekah Doley — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 17:29:03 PDT

Extract:

In a legal context the term “arson” is often not applied to child fire-setting because it is generally accepted that children as young as 10 years cannot form an “intention” to commit a crime. Sometimes the term “fire-play” is used as an alternative, yet many child development specialists and educators see this as a misnomer because, the word “play” connotes positive, learning activities. Statistically, however, it seems a consistent trend world-wide that a significant number of deliberately lit fires are started by juveniles. It raises the question, then, whether these young people have “always” lit fires or whether this is a relatively recent (and hopefully short-lived) occurrence for them. Despite the fact that arson continues to concern our communities, there is relatively little information that traces the progression of fire-starting across the lifespan of an individual. To go some way towards rectifying that imbalance, this paper provides an overview of the progression of fire involvement in childhood through to adolescence.

Juvenile fire-setting: A review of treatment programs

Katarina Fritzon et al. — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 16:45:55 PDT

The current paper provides a review of the literature on juvenile fire-setting, focusing on psychological contributions to the assessment and treatment of this population. The paper discusses research on the actions associated with deliberately lit fires by juveniles, as well as the psychological characteristics of the perpetrators. International perspectives on intervention are reviewed, and in conclusion the paper highlights the need to develop standardised protocols for intervention, which include a systematic assessment strategy for identifying high risk individuals, as well as a structured evidence-based approach to treatment incorporating psychological and fire-educational components.

Risk factors for recidivistic arson in adult offenders

Rebekah Doley et al. — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 16:15:55 PDT

This article reviews the current literature on known risk factors for recidivistic arson, with a particular focus on factors that could be used to differentiate serial from ‘‘oneoff’’ arson offenders. The relevance of risk factors for general reoffending to recidivistic arson is discussed, including the role of criminal history, mental illness, and sociodemographic factors. The specific roles of offence-related affect, cognitions, and the offender’s interest in fire are considered, with recommendations for how theories from other areas of forensic psychology, such as the sex offender assessment and treatment literature, might be applied to the issue of deliberate fire-setting. Finally, protective factors are briefly discussed and the need for a structured risk assessment tool for deliberate firsetters is canvassed. Given that research into risk and recidivism in firesetting is underdeveloped, suggestions are made throughout the review for the focus of future research into risk factors for serial arson.

Risk factors and risk assessment in juvenile fire-setting

Mairead Dolan et al. — Sun, 18 Mar 2012 23:28:33 PDT

This article provides an overview of the literature on risk issues in juvenile fire-setting behaviour. In particular, we highlight the importance of acknowledging the differences in terminology used in current studies and outline the importance of developmental issues in understanding when fire-related activities should be considered pathological. The estimated prevalence of fire interest, fire play, fire-setting and arson are discussed. The key sociodemographic, individual and environmental factors that are associated with pathological fire-setting are discussed in the context of general delinquency. The limited findings, to date, suggest that fire-setting in the main is similar to non-fire-setting delinquent behaviour in juveniles as the majority have conduct disorder rather than major mental illness. There is some very limited evidence that attentional problems may have a specific association with fire-setting but this requires replication on a larger scale. Risk assessment for those who have engaged in fire-setting behaviour is contextualised within themodel outlined in the United States Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) as this is one of the leading international agencies conducting work in this field. A variety of available risk assessment tools are outlined and the utility of FEMA models and screening tools for assigning cases to appropriate risk assessment-based interventions is outlined. Additional clinically based tools are discussed and their value in treatment/management assignment decisions is highlighted. Using a risk model for fire-setting, it is clear that multiagency working is crucial in designating cases to higher levels of multidisciplinary assessment and treatment. At present, current international and Australian interventions for juveniles largely focus on educational and fire safety awareness programmes and there is a lack of structured clinically based programmes that meet the needs of those higher-risk juveniles who have unmet mental health and social needs.

The multi-trajectory theory of adult firesetting (M-TTAF)

Therese A. Gannon et al. — Sun, 18 Mar 2012 22:59:14 PDT

The assessment and treatment of adults who set fires deliberately are underdeveloped relative to other areas of forensic-clinical psychology. From a scientist–practitioner perspective, all clinical assessment and treatment should be guided by a theoretical and empirically based understanding of the presenting clinical phenomena. In this paper, we critically review current typologies, motives, and theories regarding the etiological features of deliberate adult firesetting. Then, using a theory knitting perspective, we synthesize the prime parts of this information into a comprehensive multifactorial framework of deliberate firesetting. The resulting Multi-Trajectory Theory of Adult Firesetting (M-TTAF) is an integration of current theory, typological, and research knowledge into a comprehensive etiological theory of firesetting along with its maintenance, and desistence. In addition to this overall theoretical framework, we summarize five associated prototypical firesetting trajectories (or patterns of characteristics leading to the firesetting behavior) that stem from our theoretical work. We examine this new theory according to key evaluative components associated with theory construction and conclude by highlighting the M-TTAF's potential application in future research and practice innovation with adult firesetters.

Looking at the characteristics of adult arsonists from a narrative perspective

Katarina Fritzon et al. — Sun, 18 Mar 2012 22:28:22 PDT

This article reviews literature on the characteristics of adult arsonists as well as clinical and theoretical perspectives on explaining the psychology of adult fire-setting. A model of fire-setting is presented that addresses the functions of the behaviour, following a general discussion of other approaches to classifying arsonists, emphasising empirically derived classifications. Finally, a possible explanatory framework is provided in the form of a narrative theory account of fire-setting, with case examples presented to illustrate the main themes that emerge in the role that the arsonists assign to themselves as the main character in their own life story. The review concludes by presenting practical implications of the model, especially focusing on the utility of providing a two-tiered treatment model, combining group treatment with individual treatment, addressing the role that arson may play in identity formation and integration.

Assessment of firesetters

Rebekah M. Doley et al. — Sun, 18 Mar 2012 21:44:22 PDT

Power and excitement in arson: The case of firefighter arson

Rebekah M. Doley et al. — Sun, 18 Mar 2012 21:44:21 PDT

Bushfire and wildfire arson: Arson risk assessment in the Australian context

Troy E. McEwan et al. — Sun, 18 Mar 2012 21:44:19 PDT

A snapshot of serial arson in Australia

Rebekah M. Doley — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 16:56:23 PDT

Studies into arson commonly have two underlying assumptions: 1) that arsonists are in some way different from non-arsonists; and, 2) that repeat arson offenders are quantifiably different from one- time arson offenders. In general these suppositions have remained implicit in the research, with few empirical investigations examining their veracity or otherwise against a sound theoretical model. The current project sought to establish how applicable these assumptions are in the Australian context. In the process a profile of Australian arsonists has been clarified and the concept that arsonists can be differentiated from each other and from other types of offender on the basis of certain personal characteristics and offence features was supported. This information has relevance to arson treatment, rehabilitation and crime prevention applications.

Pyromania: Fact or fiction?

Rebekah Doley — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 17:55:58 PDT

The issue of deliberate firesetting is a growing concern in Australia. Every hour of every day in Australia at least one arson fire is lit and this type of criminal behaviour is costing the country over $157m annually in property losses alone. Although much has been written on the subject of arson there remains substantial confusion about the nature and extent of pyromania within the arsonist population. This paper explores some of the common misperceptions that exist in the literature and attempts to clarify the true magnitude of pyromania in Australia's arsonist population.

© Copyright The Centre for Crime and Justice Studies, 2003

Making sense of arson through classification

Rebekah Doley — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 17:51:00 PDT

Arson classification efforts are an attempt to make sense of a complex whole. To a greater or lesser extent typologies offered to date have relied on assumed motive. More recently, systems that combine information about offender characteristics and/or offence features have become increasingly popular. The ability to categorise arsonists accurately has significant implications for both mental health professionals and fire authorities. It is important to understand the limitations of arson classification systems generally to be able to apply them judiciously. This article discusses arson classification systems and examines three key approaches before providing an overview of some of the limitations of arson typologies generally.

© Copyright Psychiatry, Psychology and Law, 2003

Assessment and treatment of fire-setters

Rebekah Doley et al. — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 21:23:26 PDT

Extract:

Within clinical literature there has been an assumption that the above quote typifies a large proportion of individuals who deliberately commit arson. In other words, that psychological disorders of some kind can be found in the majority of such persons (Geller, Fisher, & Moynihan, 1992). For example, early conceptualisations of the condition pyromania meant that any individual who set more than one fire was considered to suffer from an 'irresistible impulse'- merely for the fact that they did not resist the impulse to set a fire. Now, however, a more sophisticated definition means that pyromania is a very rare diagnosis for arsonists.