Offender Profile: General Characteristics
Are arsonists different in any way from the offender population in general and
does the research suggest that there are factors that typify the arsonist?
Some of the characteristic features of arsonists that emerge consistently in medical
research are:
A deprived parental background
A low educational status
An inferior employment record (Job dissatisfaction, whether through
monotony of work, lack of recognition, or other resentment, is a common motive
for arson; boredom is a similar motive among the unemployed.)
Alcoholism
There has long been an association between alcohol and fire-setting, particularly
given its tendency to act as a drug with a powerful disinhibiting effect, (see for
example, Kammerer et al. (1967), Fleszar-Szunigajowa (1969), Inciardia (1970), Molnar
et al (1984)). Alcohol is also known to be an important and often unpredictable factor
in arson recidivism (Barker 1994:58).
However, it is important to remember that it is normal to identify these factors
among populations of offenders and they are not specific to arsonists, (Barker 1994:95).
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