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Progress has been made in the psychological study of arson and firesetting but existing research is predominantly offence-focussed, meaning that the nuances of humans’ relationship with fire have not been fully captured. This study explored the fire – fire user relationship from the perspective of an incarcerated sample. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 adults with arson convictions and/or a record of institutional firesetting. Data analysis was based on the principles of grounded theory. Three themes were identified, underpinning participants’ life-long psychological relationship with fire, namely: 1) Immediate Gratification, 2) Self-Concept, and 3) Self-Preservation. This study is the first to explore the lifelong fire – fire user relationship. Implications are discussed, most notably in relation to how findings could inform youth firesetting prevention initiatives.

The literature examining gender differences in the aetiology and course of firesetting is limited. This study used a sample of 32 female firesetters and 64 male firesetter-controls, matched for age...

Fires in school buildings are a major problem in Sweden. However, there is lack of research about juveniles’ attitudes to this phenomenon. The aim of this study was to investigate how high school students in Sweden discussed arson and firesetting. Semi-structured interviews and focus group interviews were conducted with 32 high school students (aged 14–15). It was found that although most students argued that playing with fire were common phenomena in their schools, deliberate firesetting was said to be less common. In contrast to previous research the students in this study argued that both girls and boys were equally involved in firesetting and fire play. There was a consensus that arson was a serious problem and a problem that should be prevented.

Textiles damage analysis is an invaluable tool in forensic investigations and can be used to help resolve cases of stabbings, shootings, and sexual assaults. It also has the potential to resolve arson attacks and “acid attacks”. Here, the literature is explored in order to review research relating to blunt force damage, stab and slash cuts, the phenomenon of falsification of evidence in sexual assaults, projectiles damage, and the effect of decomposition upon textiles damage, among others. It is clear that there is a paucity of research in the area, but where the research has been carried out, it has been informative and impactful. However, there are areas that need further work, including a better understanding of normal wear and tear, and the potential for chemicals to cause textiles damage. One area that is in a significant need of further work is the development of a robust interpretational framework.

In this paper, I introduce a user's guide to Google Trends, a service created by Google to make statistics about online searches available to everyone at no cost. I review the service's ad...

Petrol derivatives are often used as fire accelerants, and determination of their residues in arson cases could be useful for investigation of these crimes. Among the commercially available fuels, ...

Focusing on documentaries that resurrect traumatic memories of school tragedies in Kenya, this article demonstrates the centrality of media witnessing in advocacy for human rights. It reads representations of injustices committed by students and, importantly, attributes causal and moral responsibility to them as instigators of arson, gang rape, and murders in schools. The article is anchored on the faith that the witnessing of atrocities drawn from memory builds communal awareness and, thus, vigilance against injustices. Moreover, it posits that knowledge of traumatic encounters drawn from memory enhances the grieving for the human wastage incurred through transgression of internationally recognized right to life. The revival of the mourning process the witnessing facilitates enables deep reflections on the possible lessons drawn from the occurrences. The advocacy of this nature purposes to procure a transformed society where the lives and fundamental rights of individuals as well as communities a...

Between the 18th and 26th of November 2016, 220 different locations went up in flames in the Israeli forest. Israeli firefighters were powerless to contain the fires, so army and police units had to contribute. Thousands of civilian volunteers also joined the fight against the fire. The Israeli firemen were unable to curb the continuously blazing fires, which is why the Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, asked and received international support. The operation lasted for eight days, more than 1,700 fires were eliminated, but the conflagration caused considerable damage. Due to the extremely dry and windy periods, many blamed the weather conditions for the damage, but it soon became clear that in several cases, the cause was arson. Although arson as a method of extremism has been continuously practiced in many incidents worldwide, it is still beyond the scope of research on terrorism. This essay aims to prove that we have to raise awareness of the issue, highlighting both relevant incidents and the...

This interview and remembrance marks the passing in 2016 of Ibrahim Dakkak, the last of the great socialist leaders of Palestine9s post-Nakba generation. Dakkak helped lead three major movements inside the occupied Palestinian territories (oPt): al-Jabha al-wataniyya or Palestine National Front, a coalition launched in August 1973 that mobilized civil resistance to Israeli land confiscations and a whole host of other rights violations; Lajnat al-tawjih al-watani (the National Guidance Committee or NGC), established in 1978 to coordinate resistance efforts inside the oPt with the political leadership of the national movement based outside; and al-Mubadara al-wataniyya (the National Initiative Committee), which Dakkak cofounded with Mustafa Barghouti and Haidar Abdel-Shafi in the 1990s to counter the consequences of the Oslo Accords. In this interview, Dakkak also shares personal reminiscences of growing up in the Old City, as well as the 1967 arson attack on al-Aqsa Mosque, and his role in its restoration after the fire.

In the economics and housing literature, the narrative of the “arsonist for profit” is popularized, where a would-be offender destroys personal property for financial gain. More of than not, arson is expected to increase during periods of economic decline. Over a 12-year period, data on this crime and other demographic variables were collected for 264 counties to study the impact of the 2007 recession on this firesetting. The analyses herein find no support for the profiting arsonist. Implications for future research in this area are discussed.

Comparative Bullet Lead Analysis (CBLA) was discredited as a forensic discipline largely due to the absence of cross-discipline input, primarily metallurgical and statistical, during development and forensic/judicial application of the practice. Of particular significance to the eventual demise of CBLA practice was ignorance of the role of statistics in assessing probative value of claimed bullet “matches” at both the production and retail distribution levels, leading to overstated testimonial claims by expert witnesses. Bitemark comparisons have come under substantial criticism in the last few years, both due to exonerations based on DNA evidence and to research efforts questioning the claimed uniqueness of bitemarks. The fields of fire and arson investigation and of firearm and toolmark comparison are similar to CBLA and bitemarks in the absence of effective statistical support for these practices. The features of the first two disciplines are examined in systemic detail to enhance understanding as to why they became discredited forensic practices, and to identify aspects of the second two disciplines that pose significant concern to critics.

This study employs content analysis to examine how the New York Times and St. Louis Post-Dispatch framed “Black Lives Matter” protests in the aftermath of the shooting of unarmed black teenager Michael Brown. The researchers examine all New York Times and St. Louis Post-Dispatch articles dealing centrally with the Michel Brown protests during three separate time periods corresponding to heavy protest activity. The coding scheme measured dominant frame direction, article length, sourcing, and mention of protester crimes. Contrary to expectations, the papers provided overwhelmingly sympathetic coverage of “Black Lives Matter” protests. In describing the protests, both newspapers were much more likely to employ a “positive” frame suggesting peacefulness and order than a “negative” frame suggesting lawlessness and deviance. Neither newspaper over-emphasized protester-perpetrated crimes, with both papers making relatively infrequent mention of looting, arson, assault, and gunfire, respectively. Importantly, bo...

Researchers have suggested that females and males consider different factors when making legal decisions; females consider offender remorse more whereas males consider more tangible punishments, such as serving time. The current study investigates gender differences when making legal decisions. The participants (n = 596) read one of three parole scenarios (armed robbery, arson, or drug trafficking) where inmate remorse and time served were manipulated, and decided whether to grant or deny parole. The results show that the participants were less likely to grant parole to the armed robbery inmate, followed by arson and drug trafficking. Additionally, time served affected decisions more consistently than remorse shown, regardless of participant gender. Contrary to hypotheses, women rated the inmates more positively when they had served the majority of their time. The current study suggests that time served is an important predictor of decisions, and that remorse may not be enough to make people agree to redu...

Determining the cause of an arson fire is the most difficult part of fire investigation. In this study, the researcher used various clues and several pieces of fire debris collected from the actual fire site to conduct a series of experiments and analyses in sequence, starting from metallographic analysis to inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry and then a thermal analysis experiment to determine the cause of a fire. It was found that when the temperature was elevated at a rate of 2 °C/min, polyurethane (PU) foam, a structural component of refrigerators, started thermal decomposition. At about 130 °C, the thermal decomposition accelerated, and eventually at 384 °C, about 4883.33 J/g of maximum heat was released. In the end, remaining debris was about 4.96%. Therefore, the combustion of PU foam is an ultrafast type of combustion reaction. The content as well as the experimental procedure of the study is useful for fire investigators in determining the cause of arson fires.

Adolescent firesetting is costly and potentially fatal but relatively little is known about the behavior, particularly from the perspective of those engaging in it. The literature has previously focused on prevalence or theoretical frameworks but there is a paucity of research on young people’s experience and the meaning they attribute to the behavior. Developing a greater understanding of this can inform theory development and intervention programs. Data was gathered from semi-structured interviews of adolescent boys residing in secure care. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis was used to elicit key themes within the data. The analysis highlighted three super-ordinate themes of Fire as Function, Function determines Acceptability, and Function determines Severity. These themes suggest the young people within this group perceive the function of the fire as imperative over the physical properties of fire. They described the many functions of firesetting and related their view that firesetting i...

Although female forensic patients diagnosed with borderline personality disorder (BPD) are generally considered taxing in clinical practice, little is known about their specific characteristics or offences. In this study, 156 female forensic psychiatric patients diagnosed with BPD were compared to 113 diagnosed otherwise. Information on demographic and psychiatric characteristics, victimization, index offences, and incidents during treatment was gathered from patient files. Risk factors for recidivism were assessed using the PCL-R and historical items of the HCR-20, including items from the new Female Additional Manual (FAM). Compared to non-BPD women, BPD women were more likely to have been abused as children and to have a history of outpatient treatment. While less likely to be convicted for (attempted) homicide, a higher percentage of BPD women was convicted for arson. Comorbid substance abuse was more frequent in the BPD group and incidents towards others and themselves were more violent in nature. The PCL-R and the H-scale of the HCR-20/FAM indicated several risk factors especially important for BPD women, such as poor behavioural control, impulsivity, and irresponsibility. The results support the clinical impression that women diagnosed with BPD are a subgroup within the female forensic psychiatric population, with specific focus points for treatment and management.

Few studies have adequately explored the characteristics of male and female mentally disordered firesetters and compared these to those of non-firesetting mentally disordered offenders. Furthermore, there is a paucity of research examining the characteristics which can predict repeat firesetting within this population. The current study aimed to examine similarities and differences in the characteristics of (1) male and female mentally disordered firesetters, (2) male and female mentally disordered firesetters compared to non-firesetting offenders, and (3) one-time and repeat firesetters. Furthermore, the ability of these characteristics to predict offence status (i.e. firesetter or non-firesetter) and repeat firesetting was explored. Information was collected from patient hospital records for 77 (43 firesetters, 34 non-firesetters) mentally disordered offenders; including sociodemographic, family and personal background, psychiatric, and offence history factors. The findings suggest that mentally disordered firesetters are similar to their non-firesetting counterparts on key characteristics; however, firesetters are more likely to have an expressed interest in fire/explosives and a diagnosis of a schizophrenic disorder and female firesetters are more likely to have a higher number of firesetting incidents than males. Furthermore, findings suggest that fire interest is the largest predictor of repeat firesetting. Clinical implications in terms of treatment and risk assessment are discussed.

The prevalence and characteristics of un-apprehended, self-reported deliberate firesetters living in the community were examined. Ten percent of Thanet households in Kent, UK (n = 5568) were randomly invited to participate in an online study investigating deliberate firesetting. Participants answered demographic questions, questions relating to any deliberate fires ignited and five questionnaires: The Fire Setting and Fire Proclivity Scales [Gannon & Barrowcliffe (2012). Firesetting in the general population: The development and validation of the Fire Setting and Fire Proclivity Scales. Legal and Criminological Psychology, 17(1), 105–122], The BIDR [version 6; Paulhus (1984). Two-component models of socially desirable responding. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 46, 598–609; Paulhus (1988). Assessing self- deception and impression management in self reports: The balanced inventory of desirable responding. Unpublished manual, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada], The Identification with Fire Scale [Gannon, Ó Ciardha, & Barnoux (2011). The identification with fire questionnaire. Unpublished manuscript. CORE-FP, School of Psychology, University of Kent, UK] and The Fire Attitude Scale [Muckley (1997). Firesetting: Addressing offending behaviour. A resource and training manual. Redcar and Cleveland Psychological Service]. A question relating to deliberate firesetting was answered by 157 participants. Eighteen (11.5%) participants were classified as deliberate firesetters. Firesetters and non-firesetters were similar, but significantly more firesetters self-reported a history of self-harm, having a family member who ignited a deliberate fire, and a father with a psychiatric illness. Interestingly, significantly more non-firesetters reported experimenting with fire before the age of 10 compared to the firesetters. Firesetters also scored significantly higher compared to the non-firesetters on The Fire Setting Scale, The Fire Proclivity Scale, The Identification with Fire Scale and The Fire Attitude Scale. This new information shows promise in identifying community individuals who may require education or preventative work.

Based on learning from the Dangerous and Severe Personality Disorder (DSPD) programme, the UK government is developing new services for the assessment and treatment of individuals with severe personality disorder who have committed serious offences such as murder, arson and rape. These offenders will largely be managed within the criminal justice system, with overall responsibility being taken by probation officers. Psychodynamic approaches have not been incorporated into these developments, apart from some supervision and reflective practice being offered to staff. This paper describes how one of the original medium secure DSPD units, based in the NHS, has adapted the psychoanalytic approach within its therapy programme. These adaptations are illustrated through a consideration of several patients who have committed parricide – the killing of a parent.

Since the mid-1980s, Italian insurrectionary anarchists have been responsible for dozens of attacks both within Italy and abroad. For more than a decade, the prevailing tactics were small-scale acts of vandalism, sabotage and arson. However, since the late 1990s, insurrectionary anarchist militants have increasingly used more dangerous methods such as bombings and assaults. Today, insurrectionary anarchist violence is generally regarded as the most dangerous form of domestic non-jihadist terrorism in Italy. Furthermore, in many respects, Italy represents the birthplace of a threat that has spread in many countries. The paper aims to examine the rise of insurrectionary anarchist terrorism in Italy, a neglected topic in the literature. The text focuses on four aspects. First, it traces the ideological roots of this extremist tendency. Second, it examines the escalation of violence in the twenty-first century, paying particular attention to the most important entity, the Informal Anarchist Federation, FAI, a...

This article examines why, and under what circumstances, young people illegally set fire to schools. Utilizing court and police records from cases of illegal firesetting in Swedish schools where offenders were aged 21 or younger, a number of crime scene and offender characteristics are compiled and analysed using correspondence analysis. First, four main clusters of such characteristics are identified. Next, offenders’ accounts of their motives are examined and factored in, with a total of six different types of school fires identified as a result: obstructing school activities, destroying evidence of school burglary, play vandalism, vindictive vandalism, psychiatric problems and school fire as a side effect. The types of school fires obtained are then classified into two main groups: school fires related to education and school fires unrelated to education. The findings show illegal firesetting in schools to be a much more complex phenomenon than previously recognized, and that accounts of motives can he...

Female firesetters have been somewhat neglected in the research literature, and knowledge and practice is underdeveloped. A survey of the characteristics of firesetters admitted to a secure service for women and their firesetting behavior was undertaken to inform the development of assessment and intervention strategies for this group. The analysis of case records of 90 consecutive admissions revealed that 49 women had a history of firesetting. This group was more likely than other women admitted to the same facility to have a diagnosis of either personality disorder or schizophrenia and they were more impulsive. The firesetters did not differ from the other women in terms of symptomatology, need, or self-efficacy; no differences were found between the firesetters and those convicted of arson. Firesetters tended to act alone and select targets within or close to their place of residence. In view of the poor understanding of risk factors for firesetting in this group it is suggested that interventi...

Early literature regarding firesetting almost exclusively assumed this behavior to occur as a result of mental illness, specifically pyromania. However, over time, the etiology and nature of firesetting has been acknowledged as being highly varied. This article reviews the literature on pathological firesetting, focusing on the mental disorders that have been empirically associated with the behavior. The diagnostic and treatment dilemmas, which hinge on improved understanding about the motives for firesetting, are also considered. Following the recent publication of the DSM-5, and the retention of the pyromania diagnosis, this review provides mental health practitioners an opportunity to reflect on the assessment and treatment of firesetting with renewed understanding.

Arson attracts substantial penalties in Australia, reflecting the serious consequences of the crime. It is often asserted that people with intellectual disability are particularly likely to commit arson offences, and yet it is difficult to establish the prevalence in this population. This study sought to describe the characteristics of those people appearing in Australian Courts who have an intellectual disability and have been charged with arson. A search of the AustLII, LexisNexisAU and WestLawAU databases over the 10-year period from 2003 to 2013 identified 50 arson convictions reported in case law. Of these, six involved an offender with an identified intellectual disability. These offenders were likely to have committed other crimes at the time, or to have prior offences and were likely to receive longer sentences of imprisonment than their non-intellectually disabled counterparts. These findings are discussed in terms of the barriers that exist to understanding more about this under-researched population.

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%), revenge/anger (34%) and suicide (20%). Only three persons were recorded as having juvenile firesetting histories. Cluster analysis identified three sub-groups labelled “angry–antisocial,” “spree firesetters” and “persecuted–suicidal.”The research highlights the importance of considering multiple factors during assessment in addition to the un...

In 2014, Quebec's forensic science laboratory (Laboratoire de sciences judiciaires et de medicine legale) is celebrating its 100th anniversary. Since its foundation by Dr. Derome in 1914, scientific techniques in the various areas of forensic science have greatly evolved. Not only was the Laboratory the first forensic science institution in North America, it has been a pioneer for several analytical methods. The early days of the Laboratory as well as the specific evolution of the departments and divisions of biology, chemistry, arson and explosion, questioned documents, forensic pathology, odontology and anthropology, toxicology and administration will be reviewed here.

Little is known about potential correlates of problematic fire setting that could guide risk assessments and intervention. The current study measured aspects of fire-setting behaviour, fire interest, attentional bias towards fire-related words on a modified Stroop task, impulsivity, cognitive and affective empathy and callous–unemotional traits among adolescent fire setters, non-fire-setting antisocial adolescents and age-matched school controls. Results showed that current fire setting was associated with earlier onset of lighter/match play and unsanctioned fire setting. Fire-setting adolescents were also characterised by high impulsivity, callousness, uncaring traits and low cognitive empathy. Fire-setting frequency was best predicted by high impulsivity. Fire interest correlated negatively with accuracy on fire-related words on the fire Stroop task. These findings suggest that impulsivity may be important in the assessment and treatment of problematic fire setting, and encourage further research on mod...

The celebrations in Cambridge to welcome the relief of Ladysmith in March 1900 took the form of a huge illegal bonfire erected in the town market place by students and townspeople, fed by wood taken without permission from public and private buildings in the city and accompanied by a firework fight. This was the third such bonfire to be lit in the market place in almost as many years, the first two prompted by the university’s rejection of degrees for women in 1897 and by a visit to Cambridge by Lord Kitchener in 1898, and it therefore contributed to a rapidly-developing crisis over the extent and effectiveness of the control exercised at street level by both the city and the university authorities. The controversy sparked off by the relief of Ladysmith gave particular importance to the preparations being made for the expected relief of Mafeking later in the year, which became the vehicle for an effective reassertion of authority and control by the city council. The article also considers the way ...

Introduction/Background: Firesetting refers to the intentional act of use of fire with the purpose of damaging property. Starting a fire not only reveals an antisocial behavior but has also serious social economic implications for society. Although there are other possible causes for fires in general such as natural hazards, improper use of fire or accidental structural problems, intentional forest fires poses a serious problem and represents 13 to 20% of the causes of firesetting [1,2]. The incendiarism behavior can be defined by a set of risk factors that explain recidivism: the firesetter and setting of fire characteristics and the motivations associated to the committed crime. The aggressor gender is a distinguished variable in this characterization, since this behavior is seen more frequently in males (90%). The females associated with this type of crime have more specific traits, integrating an homogeneous criminal typology. The objective of this presentation is to show results of a comparative study based on a sample of Portuguese arsonists of both genders, in forest context, between 2015 and 2017. Methods: We studied 260 individuals, 25 were female (9.6%) and 235 were male (90.4%), between 14 and 86 years old. The variables were collected by the instrument “Summary Sheet - Risk Factors for Recidivism” (EPJ, 2015). The instrument is organized in three sections: 1) Offenders general characteristics (age, sex, education and profession), 2) Firesetting typology, 3) Criminal behaviour description and 4. Psychological and social firesetter characteristics. Collateral information was recollected through the consultation of the SPO (Judiciary Police Online Research System), for confirmation of sociodemographic data and criminal records. All work in this paper was conducted with the formal approval of the subjects and it follows the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki. Results: The results confirm that female show a more homogenous criminal typology than men. In general, women are represented in two main profiles: Profile A - Retaliatory Instrumental and Profile C- Clinical History, contrary to men that are represented in four criminal profiles (Profile A- Retaliatory Instrumental, Profile B- Benefic Instrumental, Profile C- Clinical History and Profile C1- Fire Attraction). Both genders share characteristics like: few social skills; difficulties in solving problems, in personal relationships as in integration in community; sustenance or unspecialized professions; type of burning area, time of occurrence and devices used. Concerning problems of psychological nature, men had more problems related to alcohol consumption than women, and women reported more mental health issues than men. Regarding motivation, female are essentially expressive, associating firesetting to anger and revenge drives, while male motivations are divided in two: expressive (78.44%) and instrumental (26.95%). Discussion and conclusions: The firesetters could be differentiated in terms of expressive or instrumental motivations [3]. Many of the incendiary behaviors presented by women are associated with situations of depression, family problems involving relationship problems and parental responsibilities conflicts. Women also may present no attraction by the fire and low levels of alcohol consumption when compared with men (2% in the moment of crime).

This study investigated unique risk factors for firesetting in a population of deliberate firesetters (n = 207) who appeared before courts between 2004 and 2009. It aimed to investigate differences between firesetting and non-firesetting offenders and determine whether offenders with only arson offences (exclusive) differed from those with more versatile (firesetting and other offence types) offending careers. Four-way comparisons were made between non-firesetters, exclusive firesetters, predominant firesetters and mixed firesetters. The demographic, criminological and clinical characteristics of firesetters were compared with a random sample of non-firesetting offenders using information from court files. The findings suggest that deliberate firesetters and other offenders are similar on key characteristics, although firesetters are more likely to be unemployed and to have a greater prevalence of psychiatric disorders. When comparing exclusive firesetters with the other groups, few differences emerged, i...

Determining that a fire is the result of arson is a challenging task. Since many arsonists use some form of ignitable liquid, such as petrol, investigators may attempt to recover ignitable liquid residue (ILR) from a fire scene to help indicate if the fire was deliberately lit. Analysing debris for ILR can become difficult when debris cannot be transported to a laboratory for testing, such as when ILR is on a fixed concrete surface. Therefore, other techniques that are suitable for fieldwork must be considered. In this paper, four techniques for recovering ILR from a concrete surface are compared. The first three techniques involve covering the surface with an absorbent material: cat litter, absorbent matting or cotton pads. Each of these conditions requires an additional, laboratory-based extraction stage before it can be analysed for ILR. The fourth technique uses a new device that can perform the extraction procedure within the crime scene, thereby providing samples that are ready for analysis. This ne...

To develop an actuarial model for arson recidivism, we studied individuals who were convicted of an arson-related offence between 1985 and 1994 in New Zealand (N = 1250). Over a 10-year follow-up, recidivism rates for arson, violent and general offending were 6.2, 48.5 and 79.3%, respectively. A cross-validation strategy was used in which predictive models for arson, violent and non-violent recidivism were developed with Cox regression on a random half of cases, while the other half was used to test the models. Results showed that the model significantly predicted arson recidivism in the validation sample (AUC = .68): Offenders who were under 18 years old, had multiple arsons at the criterion hearing date, and more prior vandalism offences were more likely to commit another arson. Results suggest that different variables predict arson compared with violent and general recidivism, and support the use of actuarial models to identify high-risk arson offenders.

This article examines a series of public disturbances in Gothenburg, Sweden. Drawing on recent work in micro-sociology, public order theory, and imitation studies, it considers why and how the ‘travelling’ of violence could develop among the city's street gangs as dramatically as it did, resulting in widespread rioting, vandalism, and arson. The situational dynamics behind the unfolding sequence of events are explored, using police intelligence records, interviews, and court documents as primary data sources. A five-part interaction sequence is outlined, focusing on the role of flash-point events, hostile belief systems, moral holidays, spirals of opinion, and mimetic rivalry in the escalation of the unrest.

From the 1790s to the 1850s, three dozen major merchant ships burned in India's important ports. Panic-stricken British shipowners, merchants and East India Company officials apprehended disruption of their intercontinental trade, so vital to the burgeoning British Empire. In all these cases, they accused Indian seamen (lascars) of selfish ship-burning. As a context, the lascars had, for centuries prior to European arrival in the Indian Ocean, worked collectively under their own petty officers. They and Indian recruiters in each port had long resisted colonial efforts to appropriate their maritime labour system. Britons used this half-century of alleged arson to finally impose British controls over lascar recruitment ashore and conditions of service aboard ships.

Kate Chopin's 1890 novel At Fault has received the least attention of her two long narratives, becoming known as her “other novel.” Previous discussions of Chopin's work have been dominated by them...

This paper examines whether, and to what extent, the incidence of single family residential arson may be explained by vectors of economic, demographic, crime deterrent, and jurisdiction specific variables. While previous research has reported mixed results as to the existence and strength of these relationships, the study results indicate that per capita arson rates are significantly related to the economic growth and vitality of a metropolitan region. Specifically, using arson incidence data obtained from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the results provide robust evidence that arson rates are positively related to both an area's unemployment rate and foreclosure rate, while negatively related to both regional housing appreciation rates and income levels.

It is very well known that Japan has an extremely low rate of crime compared with other developed countries. Due to fewer serious incidents such as murder, rape, and arson, Japanese society is gene...

A new procedure, saiban-in seido, was introduced in the Japanese criminal court in 2009.1 A mixed tribunal of three professional judges and six lay people selected from a list of voters deliberate the verdict in serious criminal cases such as murder, rape, and arson. This study researched lay people's attitudes toward the new system, their psychological knowledge (e.g. the reliability of eyewitness testimony) and legal knowledge (e.g. ‘presumed innocent’), and the relationship between attitude and knowledge. Study 1 examined the responses of 294 citizens to a questionnaire; 90 responses were examined in Study 2 (both samples consisted of two age groups, i.e. (1) 20s and (2) 40s and 50s, and two education levels, i.e. (1) college or below and (2) university or more. In both studies, respondents showed concerns about their lack of ability and knowledge to become a lay judge. Although legal knowledge was related to attitude – i.e. the more legal knowledge, the less negativity – no relationship was found betw...

Many Australians choose to live in a natural environment which places them at risk of the devastating impact of bushfires. The threat of loss from bushfires appears to be on the increase assisted by the climatic conditions in Australia that are set to continue in the foreseeable future. Human activity is stated to be the single greatest cause of bushfire ignitions whether it is due to arson or from an accidental source. Against the backdrop of the catastrophic Victorian bushfires of February 2009 the authors examine the legal and regulatory frameworks relating to bushfire arson in Australia and also consider international perspectives as to both legislation and sentencing ideologies. Although a nationally co-ordinated approach is required in the formulation of substantive legislative provisions aimed at the crime of arson, the authors also advocate that the future way forward in the management of bushfire arson is to adopt a preventative rather than reactive approach. The creative role that courts can play with respect to sentencing options to address the needs of those involved in bushfire arson is also considered. Analysis of regulatory efforts both within and outside Australia reveal that the ‘terror’ in the bush is unlikely to be controlled by legal proscriptions alone but by an integrated approach involving police, the fire services and other correctional service agencies within the criminal justice system.

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 i...

Deliberate fire-setting costs the community millions of dollars each year and comes at a great human cost. However, little is known about who commits arson and why or how fire-setting can be prevented and treated. This article provides a brief overview of the international literature on the rates, predictors, and prevention and treatment of fire-setting with a view to understanding the phenomenon in the Australian context. While much of the existing literature focuses on structural arson, current knowledge on bushfire-setting will also be explored, with some attention being paid to the issue of fire-fighter arson. This review highlights the current gaps in knowledge and shows that relatively little reliable information is available to guide law enforcement and mental health practitioners in their endeavours to reduce and treat the occurrence of fire-setting.

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, treatment and sentencing of arson offenders need to be grounded in sound research about the phenomenon of arson in its various forms. Such data have the potential to moderate visceral and retributive legal responses to offenders. However, such a scientific response requires enhanced understanding about arson offending, including in Australia about bushfire arson offending; about the pathologies that can affect such offending; and about the efficacy of various forms of intervention and treatment. For such understanding, additional, focussed research is necessary and for it to be fed back into both the treatment and legal systems. Ideally this will include facility for intervention and treatment for persons who have not (yet) entered the forensic system. While programmes for better informed community responses are important, so too is further research on why and how arson is committed so as better to protect the community against its incidence.

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 “one-off” 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 fire-setting is underdeveloped, suggestions are made throughout the review for the focus of future research into risk factors for serial arson.

In an early investigation on the topic of the relationship between trauma history and nonsexual crimes committed by sexual offenders, this study examined nonsexual crimes committed by a sample of 451 juvenile sexual abusers. More than 60% of this sample committed quite serious crimes (i.e., animal cruelty, arson, assault, burglary, car theft, drug-related crimes, or theft). Based on the delinquency literature, childhood victimization significantly predicted severity of criminal behavior for this sample. Implications for research and practice are discussed.

Fire accelerants such as gasoline, kerosene, and diesel have commonly been used in arson cases. Improved analytical methods involving the extraction of fire accelerants are necessary to increase sample yield and to reduce the number of uncertain findings. In this study, an analytical method based on headspace single drop microextraction (HS-SDME) followed by gas chromatography–flame ionization detection (GC-FID) has been developed for the analysis of simulated fire debris samples. Curtain fabric was used as the sample matrix. The optimized conditions were 2.5 μL benzyl alcohol microdrop exposed for 20 min to the headspace of a 10 mL aqueous sample containing accelerants placed in 15-mL sample vial and stirred at 1500 rpm. The extraction method was compared with the solvent extraction method using n-hexane for the determination of fire accelerants. The HS-SDME process is driven by the concentration difference of analytes between the aqueous phases containing the analyte and the organic phase constituting t...

In December 2007, unprecedented violence erupted in Kenya following the announcement of disputed presidential election results. The electorate was divided along ethnic lines and tribal clashes bordering on ethnic cleansing escalated. Those supporting opposing camps found themselves on the wrong side of the political divide leading to killings, maiming, and arson, destruction of property and displacement of persons both locally and internationally. Children were not spared these skirmishes as they found themselves in the centre of the battlefield. Many of them witnessed or were subjected to torture, while others found themselves orphaned in the twinkling of an eye. This paper highlights the plight of one such survivor who was then taken to live with a relative she hardly knew, and how she struggles to make it despite the obstacles she may be facing. It also discusses, albeit briefly, the improvised methods used by the counsellor in trying to help this girl. The paper contributes to the field of co...

This essay remembers the 1973 fire at the UpStairs Lounge in New Orleans that took 32 lives—the worst arson hate crime and mass murder of gay men and friends in U.S. history. In doing so, it draws attention to the homophobic institutional silence that sought to render these queer lives, these martyrs, invisible. However, this account also reveals the heroic queer efforts of Rev. Troy Perry and others to use religious grounds for mourning and commemoration, forging a legacy more familiarly known as “the Stonewall of New Orleans” that has to date continued to thrive.

A subway emergency is a complex event that requires a coordinated adaptive response from physical systems and people. A performance-based approach to subway fire emergencies need to be (1) goal-based, (2) integrate human and physical systems responses, (3) represent the temporal dimension of the emergency, and (4) represent the way in which people and active systems can be expected to respond to uncertainties. The article suggests the use of Desirable System States as a means to find and evaluate design solutions to a subway fire scenario. An example is provided, and the results compared with actual subway arson events.

The position of Muslims in the Netherlands and government policies regarding Muslims have been influenced not only by the attacks of 9/11, but even more by the murder of the film-maker Theo van Gogh on 2 November 2004. The brutal murder activated serious political problems and perceptions that were already present; it caused authorities to panic, it was the starting point of a series of arson attacks and threats, and many Muslims experienced a feeling of exclusion. The background to these developments can partly be traced back to the socio-economic, cultural and political positions of Muslims in the Netherlands and to the perceptions that Muslims cherish regarding religion and the West. The prevailing perceptions are subject to political struggle between Muslim democrats and Muslim radicals. The development of this struggle calls for a new understanding of the attraction exerted by radicalism and extremism on a small number of Muslim youngsters in Western Europe. This radicalism shows a complicated relati...