[www.apsu.edu]

The Emerging Forensic Science of Arsonist Profiling
Numerous motives compel arson: financial reward, politics, concealment of another crime, attention seeking, revenge, and anger. A fundamental tenet of behavioral profiling is that if you know the what and why, the who will follow. Therefore, sometimes behavioral profilers are called in to testify during an arson trial. They usually present research findings which suggest a profile of the typical arsonist as someone who may be seriously mentally ill and/or intoxicated at the time of the offense, which can be argued as mitigating responsibility. A full-blown pyromania defense usually doesn't work, as in the forensic setting, pyromania is actually quite rare. Below is a summary of some well-known personality characteristics for arsonists:

AGE: 10-14 (26%), majority under 18 (51%) if adult, late 20s, never over 35 if adult, revenge or profit motive
SEX: 9 out of 10 times (90%) a male; if female, revenge type
RACE: 3 out of 4 times (75%) a white; black (20%) of time if first-timer; Native Americans 3rd largest group
CLASS: majority from lower to working class; middle class if vandalism or excitement
IQ: vast majority subnormal (70-90) with 22% in retarded range (below 70), rare genius
FAMILY: absent or abusive father, history of emotional problems with family/mother
SCHOOL: learning problems and usually held back a grade in school, normally in 10th grade; younger (grades 6-8) if vandalism
PEERS: social misfit, interpersonal problems with opposite sex, appears physically and emotionally weak compared to peers
WORK: usually chooses subservient position and then resents it (both ambivalent and resentful toward authority-repressed); unemployed if vandal, excite, or profit
CRIMINAL HISTORY: numerous status offenses as juvenile, property crimes, almost all have arrest records
DRUG/ALCOHOL: no problem
MENTAL: lack of remorse may appear as psychopathy, but more typically result of obsessive-compulsive disassociative trance-like state during firesetting
ARREST: majority remain at crime scene except revenge, conceal, profit types; some attempt suicide in lockup; most easily confess thru cooperation

TYPES other than concealers or for profit (who constitute 22% of total):

ARSON FOR REVENGE (41%) - precipitating factor is a real or imagined affront that occured months or years ago; attack is focused on individual rivals, a business chain, schools, or some facilities connected with offender
ARSON FOR EXCITEMENT (30%) - precipitating factor is boredom, (sexual) thrill cycle, or need for attention; attack is focused on large or outdoor targets, like parks, construction sites, arenas, as well as residential areas
ARSON FOR VANDALISM (7%) - precipitating factor is family disturbance or peer pressure; attack if usually focused on educational facility as well as residences and outdoors
ARSON FOR PROFIT (5%) & ARSON FOR CRIME CONCEALMENT (17%)

Mike Carlson, CFI, CFEI, CVFI, CATI, CPP,
Chicago, Il