According to Dehaan and Icove (2011), the investigation of arson can be particularly challenging due to complicated factors associated with the crime scene such as; destruction of physical evidence and lack of eyewitnesses. Despite copious amounts of research examining the characteristics of arsonists leading to the development of treatment programmes; little research contributes to the understanding of patterns of behaviours in relation to arsonists characteristics. In order to deduce offender characteristics from crime scene actions, motivational typologies are usually employed as a result of this relationship. However, it must be highlighted that ‘motives’ are often an unreliable information source due to offenders ambiguously reporting their supposed motives.
Seemingly, Lewis and Yarnell (1951) are accredited with being the first researchers to provide some type of classification system for a group of fire starters, however only in relation to offenders with diminished mental capacity. Lewis and Yarnell (1951) classified four categories of offenders that started fires, with the exclusion of those who set fires for profit; unintentionally, as a result of delusions, for erotic pleasures and to obtain revenge. A further category for ‘child’ fire setters was later hypothesized, stating that they start fires out of excitement.
Inciardi (1970) developed six motives for arson; revenge, insurance claim, excitement (pyromania), instintusionalised (arson in a mental health
Violent crimes happen every day in America, yet the full scope of why and how they happen are not understood by many outside of law enforcement. But within the ranks of law enforcement and the criminal justice system itself, violent crimes are examined and analyzed at length to determine both how and why the incident occurred, as well as what can be done in the future to prevent a similar event from reoccurring. Investigators use multiple methods and seek various explanations as to why a violent crime occurs. This literature will look at some of those things that investigators try to sort out in the aftermath of a violent crime, such as the killer’s modus operandi and signatures, his psychology, relation to his victims, and how the effect of gender, race, or culture might impact his violent behavior.
This essay will outline how crime theories are able to assist in recognizing the causes of criminal activity, as well as demonstrating two criminological theories to two particular crimes. Overviews of trends, dimensions and victim/offenders characteristics of both crime groups will be specified. The two particular crimes that will be demonstrated throughout this essay are; Violent Crime (focusing on Assault) being linked with social learning theory and White Collar crime (focusing on terrorism) being linked to General Strain theory. In criminology, determining the motive of why people commit crimes is crucial. Over the years, many theories have been developed and they continue to be studied as criminologists pursue the best answers in eventually diminishing certain types of crime including assaults and terrorism, which will be focused on.
In criminology, is very important to study why people commit crime when deciding how crime should be handled and prevented. This type of study is known as criminal profiling. Many theories have developed over the years, and they continue to be researched, alone and in combination, as criminologists seek the best solutions in reducing specific types and levels of crime. While all crime theories are designed to try to explain and understand criminal activity and the people that commit them, it is an ongoing science. No one theory can define all crime. However, it can be used usefully to help us understand crime a little better and help criminologists find new ways to deal with and eliminate criminal behavior. I am going to discuss one
Sociological theories of crime contain a great deal of useful information in the understanding of criminal behavior. Sociological theories are very useful in the study of criminal behavior because unlike psychological and biological theories they are mostly macro level theories which attempt to explain rates of crime for a group or an area rather than explaining why an individual committed a crime. (Kubrin, 2012). There is however some micro level sociological theories of crime that attempts to explain the individual’s motivation for criminal behavior (Kubrin, 2012). Of the contemporary
Conflict theory and labeling theory are two similar theories in the world of crime. It has been debated whether or not there is a clear line separating the two theories. By evaluating the two theories, the differences between them can become more obvious and it becomes easier to separate the two. In addition to conflict theory and labeling theory, there is another type of theories that are used to explain crime. These theories focus more on a criminal 's lifetime and how their criminal records have evolved over time. Two of the leading theories in this realm of criminology are Moffit’s theory of life course persistent offenders and Sampson and Laub’s age-graded theory of informal social control. These theories both explain why people commit or don 't commit crime. There are similarities between the theories and also differences. By analyzing all four of these theories, a better understanding can be gained related to crime.
The most common motive as to why arson fires are committed is for financial gains. According to U.S. Fire Administration Topical Fire Research Series, “The general public typically views arson as an insurance concern, primarily a paper crime of fraud mostly affecting insurance companies” (usfa.fema.gov). Many think that the easiest way to get insurance funds is by setting fires on their own properties or areas where they know will soon affect their section. Firefighters on the other hand, believe that they can easily get away with arson cases because no one would look directly towards an emergency fire responder as the criminal.
The first things you should do when demonstrating what writing order for the arson unit is knowing how the personal items for each and every arson investigator should have on them. Besides, every arson investigator should have personal items made available to them to carry and that includes protective clothing such as hardhats, fire resistant overalls, steel-capped boots, thick gloves, and a face mask. Supplies of gas and electricity should be switched off before the investigation begins. When specializing in these items for arson investigators to carry you should have certain types of containers that will not alter the chemical properties of the accelerants and shatterproof eye shields protecting them from the fire debris. “Teach and practice
However, while the overstimulation of the Id and the failure to acquire and develop the the Ego and SuperEgo leads to criminal tendencies, while aggression may be out of adaptive values, and while genetic studies have pointed towards the influence of genes and criminal behaviour, these theories alone are insufficient to account for crime. Evolutionary theory does not explain or predict for the extreme degrees of aggression in individuals nor has the genetic theory proven for 100% heritability; which raises the need for us to examine the Nurture camp of crime theories as well.
They usually hate their parents. Almost every serial killer is abused as a child, whether it is sexually, emotionally, physically, or psychologically. This abuse may come from a stranger or a family member, but many serial killers try to lie about this history of abuse. Most serial killers have records of early psychiatric problems and often spent time in institutions as children (i.e.: mental hospitals or psychological rehabilitation centers). They have an intense interest in voyeurism, fetishism, and sadomasochistic porn at a very early age, and they also have a very high rate of suicide attempts. Future serial killers share three other traits in their childhoods. More than sixty precent of serial killers wet their beds past the age of twelve. They also have a fascination with fire, which may be an early manifestation of their fondness for mass destruction. In addition, almost every serial killer starts his abuse and sadistic torture on animal victims (Fisher and Fisher, 2003).
Arson for profit is a form of insurance fraud that involves deliberately and intentionally setting fires for monetary gain (U.S. Fire Administration, 2009). Also called economic arson, arson for profit occurs when businesses or individuals deliberately set fires in order to dispose of insured property, including buildings, automobiles, boats, and land, and reap financial benefits by filing insurance claims against the property (U.S. Fire Administration, 2009). Arson for profit is a serious crime, resulting in destroyed property, higher insurance premiums, wasted government resources, and even death (Goetz, 1997; U.S. Fire Administration, 2009). The following paper will explore this form of white collar crime by examining the motives and
A small percentage arsonists are driven by a mental condition known as pyromania, which is an irresistible urge to set fires combined with an intense fascination for flames (Bartol & Bartol). These fire setters claim they have no control over their fire setting impulses.
Arson comes in many forms such as juveniles vandalizing property, businesses trying to collect insurance money, and murderers covering up their crimes are just a few of the examples arson investigators deal
Figuring out why people commit crimes is one of the central concerns of criminology. Do most criminals act rationally after weighing the costs of crime? Is society ever to blame for an individual to commit a crime? Do mental diseases or even genetics factor into whether a person will live a life of crime. Over the years, many people have developed theories to try to answer these questions. In fact, the number of theories of why people commit crimes sometimes seems to equal the number of criminologists. I explore these questions and much more in the paper that follow.
The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health will not change legislation regarding safety in the near future.
What makes a criminal a criminal? Can anyone become a criminal? Answering and understanding these questions is the core work of criminologists as most criminologists attempt to make sense of why people do certain things (Garland, Sparks 2000). This essay will consider the notion that any person could become a criminal and in so doing consider the initial question. This essay will outline a range of theories that attempt to describe human behavior in relation to criminal behavior given the complexities of behaviour. Several theories will be considered as no single theory of behavior can account fully for the complexities and range in criminal behaviour. The theories range from social-control, to classical, to biological, to personality