Current Activities

Arson in Australia: Developing a Complex Treatment Model of Adult Deliberate Firesetting

This project is concerned with the development of a firesetter treatment model for use within correctional settings. The treatment model developed as a result of this project will be informed by data collated over two studies concerning the antecedent, behavioural and consequential variables found to be associated with serial firesetting behaviour in Australia.

All variables selected for this analysis will be advised by the recently described Multi-Trajectory Theory of Adult Firesetting (M-TTAF; Gannon, Ciardha, Doley, & Alleyne, 2011), a multifactorial framework of deliberate firesetting that describes the factors believed to facilitate and reinforce firesetting behaviour.

Principal Researcher(s): Ryan Bell and Dr Rebekah Doley

Risk Factors for Repeat Firesetting

This study aims to a) establish the base rate for firesetting amongst Scottish offenders (males, females and young offenders), so contextualising subsequent risk tool implementation; b) identify valid and reliable risk factors for repeat firesetting within this population; c) test the external validity and internal reliability (consistency) of the fire risk tool by implementing it in a community sample.

Principal Researcher(s): Dr Katarina Fritzon and Sarah Miller

Develop a treatment program for bushfire arsonists and juvenile and adult firesetters

This project is funded by the Commonwealth Attorney-General’s department under the National Emergency Management Projects scheme, and is focused on developing an offence specific targeted treatment program for adult and adolescent arsonists.

As part of the development of the program we will address the criminogenic factors related to specific types and targets of firesetting, with a particular focus on bushfire arsonists, and with specific relevance to the Australian context.

The project will comprehensively assess a sample of Australian firesetters and provide information about psychological processes and psychopathology that underlie this behaviour. The results of the research will inform the development of new treatment model that can be applied in both prisons and community based settings. The sample will be unique in that it will include participants from both forensic and community settings, overcoming limitations of previous research.

Principal Researcher(s): Dr Katarina Fritzon and Dr Rebekah Doley in collaboration with Dr Troy McEwan

Adolescent Behaviour Study: Animal Harm and Firesetting among juvenile offenders and community youth. Collaborative research project by Bond University and Child and Youth Forensic Outreach Service, Queensland Health.

The current study examines the prevalence of harm to animals and fire lighting behaviours among juvenile offenders and non-offenders. Key predictors are examined, including the role of general antisocial behaviour and callous-unemotional traits.

Principal Researcher: Dr Bruce Watt and Dr Rebekah Doley

The Actor or the Imitator? Understanding Psychopathy, Empathy and Social Information Processing.

This project will explore psychopathy in the community, business and forensic setting. The research seeks to expand on the current understanding of psychopathy in the Australian community. The research aims to investigate the ability of those with psychopathy to read, observe and mirror behaviour to achieve an instrumental outcome. The aim of the project is to investigate the role and association between psychopathy, mirror neurons and empathy. The study also intends to examine the social processing of those with higher scores of psychopathy and seek to explore the association between facial expressions, mirror neurons, deception and psychopathy scores. In association with the Australian Centre for Arson Research and Treatment, the methodology of this project will also be applied to a sample of arsonists to investigate psychopathy in this population.

Principal Researcher: Nathan Brooks and Dr Katarina Fritzon

The use of fire in Australian homicide cases: a link to M-TTAF and the action systems framework

The aim of this project is examine the use of arson in homicide cases in Australia over the last 21 years. It will involve a partnership between ACART and the Australian Institute of Criminology’s National Homicide Monitoring Program. The study will explore the role of fire in homicide, establish whether there are links between crime scene behaviours and personal characteristics of the offender(s), and address findings in the context of the current theoretical model (M-TTAF; Gannon, ÒCiardha, Doley, 2012) posited to explain deliberate firesetting. This examination will also facilitate further testing of Fritzon and Canter’s (1998) action systems model of firesetting to determine its applicability to homicide offenders who use arson in their most serious offence. Developing an understanding of deliberate firesetting and homicide will inform developments of the treatment model ACART is delivering. Findings of the project may also be helpful to fire investigators and law enforcement personnel.

Prinicipal Researcher(s): Dr Claire Ferguson, Dr Rebekah Doley and Dr Bruce Watt

Exploring the characteristics of deliberate firesetting by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people

In the period 2001 – 2006 one quarter of individuals before the court for arson were indigenous (Muller, 2008), yet there is no body of literature to explain the aetiology of this behaviour and therefore no available specifically targeted treatment. The aim of this study will be to begin to develop a knowledge base around the current and historical relationship between culture and indigenous firesetting, and to delineate the common features associated deliberate problematic firesetting behaviour in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander individuals that are distinct from non-indigenous firesetters. By identifying the unique characteristics associated with deliberate firesetting in indigenous individuals development of specifically targeted and culturally sensitive treatment will be made possible.
Principal Researcher(s): Dr Rebekah Doley, Lucy Davey, Nathan Brooks, Dr Claire Ferguson, Dr Katarina Fritzon,