Bridging Two Research Areas

    Authors

    R. Doley; C. Ferguson;R. Surette

    Comments

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    Abbreviated Journal Title

    Crim. Justice Behav.

    Keywords

    arson; firesetting; copycat; VIOLENCE; SUICIDE; FIRESETTERS; AGGRESSION; TELEVISION; OFFENDERS; Psychology, Clinical; Criminology & Penology

    Abstract

    Deliberate firesetting costs our community in destruction to property and lives. Public concern heightens when similar fires occur in a series, raising the specter of copycat firesetting. Difficulties associated with researching copycat crimes in general mean that not a lot is known about copycat firesetting. As an initial step toward filling this research gap, we explore connections between research on copycat crime and research into deliberate firesetting. The intention is to extract salient features from what is known about the phenomena of deliberate firesetting and copycat crime, map them together, and point out shared and unique characteristics. It is argued that a copycat firesetter is likely to exist as a distinct subgroup and potentially requiring targeted interventions.

    Journal Title

    Criminal Justice and Behavior

    Volume

    40

    Issue/Number

    12

    Publication Date

    1-1-2013

    Document Type

    Article

    Language

    English

    First Page

    1472

    Last Page

    1491

    WOS Identifier

    WOS:000326489200007

    ISSN

    0093-8548

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