Arson Profile

Deliberate and purposeful Firesetting on more than one occasion,

Tension or emotional arousal before the act;

Fascination with, interest in, curiosity about or attraction to fire and its situational context or associated characteristics such as paraphernalia, uses, consequences, exposure to fire and

Intense pleasure, gratification, or relief when setting fires or when witnessing or participating in their aftermath.

The above APA definition of pyromania purposefully eliminates many of the criteria which is exhibited in the behavior and characteristics of the arsonist, such as expression of anger or vengeance. The arsonist, in contrast, often sets fires as a means of revenge or vengeance, both the most common motives for the arsonist (Holt, 2000, 2). More so than pyromania, arson is a complex behavior and it does not easily lend itself to a cause-and-effect dynamic. Wh

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ho has been adopted into a family. He is thought to be guilty of setting a number of fires in the local vicinity. The book’s young antagonist mirrors the psychological profile of the adolescent arsonist in that he exhibits feelings of low self-worth and poor self-esteem, he feels isolated and alone because of being adopted, and his uneducated, poverty-ridden environment causes him further stress which he is thought to gain relief from by setting fires. As one critic says of the book’s author “Willis is able to depict the boy’s internal conflicts over his feelings about his adopted family and his real family” (Renner, 2000, 112). Thus, we can see that this author’s perspective fits into the psychological profile and socio-economic characteristics of the typical adolescent arsonist. Many of the children reported to be arsonists in the literature were found to be motivated by something other than curiosity. Most often, children who commit arson are reacting to a need for help or attention, children who often life in difficult circumstances and lack support networks. Grolnick (et al., 1990, 128) found that the majority of children who commit arson “do not possess appropriate or effective communication skills; their personal obs
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Approximate Word count = 2709
Approximate Pages = 11 (250 words per page)

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