Fire Interest and Antisociality as Risk Factors in the Severity and Persistence of Juvenile Firesetting

MacKay, Sherri; Henderson, Joanna; Bove, Giannetta Del; Marton, Peter; Warling, Diane; Root, Carol A.

doi:10.1097/01.chi.0000227881.50404.ca

Cited by 59 publications

(65 citation statements)

References 23 publications

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“…Children and adolescents 17 years of age and younger play a significant role in these outcomes, accounting for roughly half of all fire-related arrests (Snyder 2008). Importantly, juvenile "interest" in fire has been conceptualized as a potential risk factor for juvenile firesetting (Kolko and Kazdin 1986), and has been shown empirically to be a correlate of children and adolescents' involvement in fire-related activities (Kafry 1978;Kolko and Kazdin 1989a;MacKay et al 2006). Additionally, among adult male psychiatric inpatients, a reported history of juvenile fire interest is the variable that correlates most highly with current status as a problematic firesetter (Rice and Harris 1991).…”

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confidence: 96%

“…The methods used to assess this psychological construct have also been restricted almost exclusively to caregiver-and child-report questionnaires and structured interviews (e.g., Kafry 1978;Kolko et al 2001; Kolko and Kazdin 1988, 1989a, b, 1991MacKay et al 2006;Rice and Harris 1991; for exceptions, see Block et al 1976;Osborn 1986, 1999;Sakheim et al 1991;Sakheim et al 1985). Reliability and validity data are available for a limited number of these measures.…”

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confidence: 99%

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The Pictorial Fire Stroop: A Measure of Processing Bias for Fire-Related Stimuli

Gallagher-Duffy¹,

MacKay

Duffy

et al. 2009

J Abnorm Child Psychol

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Fire interest is a risk factor for firesetting. This study tested whether a fire-specific emotional Stroop task can effectively measure an information-processing bias for fire-related stimuli. Clinic-referred and nonreferred adolescents (aged 13-16 years) completed a pictorial "Fire Stroop," as well as a self-report fire interest questionnaire and several control tasks. Results showed (a) comparatively greater fire-specific attentional bias among referred adolescent firesetters, (b) a negative relationship between Fire Stroop attentional bias and self-reported fire interest, and (c) positive correspondence between Fire Stroop attentional bias and self-reported firesetting frequency. These findings suggest that instruments that measure an automatic bias for fire-specific stimuli may usefully supplement self-report measures in the assessment and understanding of firesetting behavior.

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confidence: 96%

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confidence: 99%

The Pictorial Fire Stroop: A Measure of Processing Bias for Fire-Related Stimuli

Gallagher-Duffy¹,

MacKay

Duffy

et al. 2009

J Abnorm Child Psychol

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“…The most common diagnoses associated with firesetting appears to be conduct disorder or antisocial personality disorder (APA, 2000;Bradford, 1982; Heath et al, 1985;Kolko, 1985;Kolko & Kazdin, 1991a;Kosky & Silburn, 1984;MacKay et al, 2006;Martin, Bergen, Richardson, Roeger, & Allison, 2004;Repo & Virkkunen, 1997;Sakheim & Osborn, 1999). In fact, empirical research with Finnish firesetter recidivists shows that antisocial personality disorder predicts recidivist firesetting (Lindberg et al, 2005) and, conversely, firesetting behavior flags those individuals characterized by the most extreme antisocial pathology (Becker, Stuewig, Herrera & McCloskey, 2004;Martin et al, 2004).…”

Section: Firesetting Psychopathologymentioning

confidence: 99%

Firesetting: Psychopathology, theory and treatment

Gannon

Pina

2010

Aggression and Violent Behavior

103

136

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In this paper, we comprehensively review the characteristics of adult firesetters, and the etiological features of firesetting. In particular, we pay attention to contemporary research available regarding the core traits and psychopathological features required to understand firesetters, and the classificatory systems and etiological theories developed to understand firesetting. This evaluation of contemporary research suggests that clinical knowledge and practice relating to firesetting is extremely underdeveloped relative to other areas of forensicclinical psychology. We conclude that there are very few etiological theories available to guide consulting clinicians in this area, and little information available specifying the exact criminogenic needs associated with firesetters, or how these needs compare to other offender groups. The significant lack of contemporary treatment programs designed to target firesetting behavior is also noted. We conclude by highlighting core areas for future research and treatment progression. Latest available statistics show that around 323,900 intentionally set fires were recorded by US fire departments in 2005 and these fires caused 490 deaths, 9,100 injuries, and created over 1 billion dollars of costs relating to property destruction (Hall, 2007). Given the enormous societal costs associated with intentional firesetting, it is curious that current psychological understanding of this act is relatively underdeveloped, especially when one compares the extant firesetting literature to that relating to violence or sexual offending. The only existing reviews on firesetting behavior have tended either to focus solely upon child and juvenile firesetters (Kolko, 1985), or have approached firesetting from a psychiatric perspective (Blumberg, 1981;Geller, 1987;Geller, 2008;Ritchie & Huff, 1999). Thus, there is a strong need for a psychologically-informed review on firesetting for consulting clinicians and forensic psychologists who work with adult firesetters.Our paper does not intend to provide an exhaustive review of firesetting since to do so would entail numerous historical pieces. However, we do aim to provide a comprehensive and contemporary overview of the diagnostic criteria, etiological features, theory, and treatment relevant to adult firesetting. Our main aim is to provide clinical practitioners with a comprehensive psychological understanding of adult firesetters, paying particular attention to clinical and etiological features, firesetting behavioral specificity, issues of diagnostic criteria relevant to pathological firesetting, and current treatment issues. Based upon this review, we then make some suggestions for future empirical research and evidence-based practice relevant to firesetting. In order to increase the clarity and focus of this review, and unless otherwise stated, we will focus our discussions on firesetting committed by individuals over the age of 18. We will, however, refer to research with juveniles and children where we feel it is appropriate to ...

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“…For example, fire interest, as measured in the TAPP-C protocol, predicted concurrent frequency and severity of firesetting, even after controlling for the effects of externalizing behavior problems. Moreover, after controlling for externalizing behavior problems, heightened fire interest was a significant predictor of follow-up firesetting recidivism (MacKay et al, 2005).…”

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confidence: 99%

Closing the Research-Practice Gap: Factors Affecting Adoption and Implementation of a Children's Mental Health Program

Henderson¹,

MacKay²,

Peterson‐Badali³

2006

Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology

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Despite the availability of effective interventions, they are not widely used in community mental health centers. This study examined the adoption and implementation of The Arson Prevention Program for Children (TAPP-C), a program for juvenile firesetters developed at a teaching hospital and disseminated to community settings. Questionnaire data from mental health professionals were used to evaluate the roles of adopter, innovation, and dissemination characteristics in TAPP-C adoption and implementation. Results indicate that different factors are important at different diffusion stages. Moreover, they suggest that innovation characteristics may be particularly important to adoption, whereas adopter and dissemination characteristics may be more influential in implementation.

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Fire Interest and Antisociality as Risk Factors in the Severity and Persistence of Juvenile Firesetting

Cited by 59 publications

References 23 publications

The Pictorial Fire Stroop: A Measure of Processing Bias for Fire-Related Stimuli

The Pictorial Fire Stroop: A Measure of Processing Bias for Fire-Related Stimuli

Firesetting: Psychopathology, theory and treatment

Closing the Research-Practice Gap: Factors Affecting Adoption and Implementation of a Children's Mental Health Program

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