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Understanding the Arsonist [Paperback]

Dian L. Williams (Author)
4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)


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Book Description

1930056583 978-1930056589 February 17, 2005
Within the last year an estimated 16,000 people were arrested for arson and law enforcement agencies have reported over 70,000 arson offenses to the FBI. Whatever the numbers involved, what is indisputable is that arson in hurting the US economy, insurers and policyholders. On average, half of all fires are arson. These crimes, which threaten human life as well as cause property damage, largely go unpunished and the offending behaviour is often untreated. Written for fire and police investigators, criminal justice professionals and mental health professionals, this book provides insight into the types of individuals who become arsonists.

This book offers a look at the common misunderstanding about the reasons individuals set fires and the research that influenced it. Written by Dr Dian Williams, owner and founder of the Center for Arson Research, the text will provide the latest qualified research into arsonist behavior. The Federal Government recognizes her as one of only six arson research fellows in the United States. This text is the only complete collection of her extensive research into firesetting, gathered through interviews with actual or suspected firesetters, analysis of the data and clinical interpretation of the findings. You’ll learn about six specific physcological profiles of firesetters, their motivation for setting fires and the types of fires they set.

Topics include: • Firesetting history • Identifying an Arsonist • Interrogation Strategies • Recent research and studies • Arsonist motivation • Actual interviews with arsonists • Types of fires • The Experimental or Curiosity Firesetter • The Delinquent Firesetter • The Though-Disordered Firesetter • The Revenge Firesetter • Thrill Seeker Firesetters • The Disordered Coping Firesetter • Risks for arson


Editorial Reviews

Review

Reference Research Book News - May 3, 2005

An American consultant and researcher on arson, Williams surveys the types of firesetters: the experimental or curious, the delinquent, the thought-disordered, the revenge, the thrill seeker, and the disordered coping. For each, she reviews various psychological and social theories, identifies variations, and often provides case studies. She begins with an overview of firesetting, and concludes with a research agenda and future plans. --This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

About the Author

Dian Williams has worked with firesetting behavior since 1974 and made the decision to formalize her business in the early 1980's. The Federal Government recognizes her as one of six arson research fellows in the United States. Dr. Williams appears with some regularity on local and national television programs and was featured on the Discovery Channel recently as an expert in arson profiling.

Dr. Williams lectures on firesetting behavior throughout the U.S. and abroad. She has functioned as a consultant to the Home Office in the United Kingdom and is currently advising on forensic research into arsonists in Australia. Dr. Williams serves as a consultant to police departments, criminal and juvenile justice agencies, criminal and civil courts, mental health departments, news and print media, attorneys and schools.


Product Details

  • Paperback: 208 pages
  • Publisher: Lawyers & Judges Publishing Company, Inc. (February 17, 2005)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1930056583
  • ISBN-13: 978-1930056589
  • Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.5 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces
  • Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #858,429 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

3 Reviews
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Average Customer Review
4.0 out of 5 stars (3 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Arson: A long misunderstood and under-recognized danger to society, October 28, 2005
This review is from: Understanding the Arsonist (Paperback)
This very important book addresses the complex and significant issues surrounding the act of arson. The book is comprehensive in exploring targeted assessment, issues related to personality structure and dynamics of intrapsychic pathology, but manages to provide the information in a brisk and reader friendly format. The book additionally includes a review of historical underpinnings related to arson and confronts the many myths, stereotypes and misconceptions that have long accompanied firesetting. Dr. Williams book will be a welcome reference to criminologists, police, forensic nurses, social workers, psychologists and frontline healthcare professionals who may encounter these clients in a variety of settings.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars A Must Purchase, October 27, 2005
This review is from: Understanding the Arsonist (Paperback)

This volume by Dr. Williams thoroughly fills a gap in the literature regarding what makes an arsonist "tick." Most texts dealing with arson and arsonists have chapters on the characteristics and traits of arsonists, but are outdated, lack currency, ignore recent research, and rely on folklore. Dr. Williams book gives fresh insite, is easily read, understood, and brings a clarity to arsonists' motives, the psychopathic personality, and other factors that no other text has achieved. It is especially useful to the fire/arson investigator, subject matter researchers, and mental health professionals working in this field.
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1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Necessary reading, October 25, 2005
This review is from: Understanding the Arsonist (Paperback)
I feel the book is required reading for anyone working with individuals with fire setting backgrounds. Moreover, it is very useful for those working with at-risk populations of all sorts, given the connection between this and other dangerous behaviors. This is responsible, clinical research written in a straightforward and accesible manner.
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