A typology of rural arsonists: characterising patterns of criminal behaviour

Figures & data

Table 1. Codification of the variables in the rural arson database.

Characteristics	Variables Names	Variables’ Values Categorization
	Year	1 = 2015; 2 = 2016; 3 = 2017; 4 = 2018; 5 = 2019; 6 = 2020
Sociodemographic	Sex	1 = Male; 2 = Female
	Age	1 = 29 years old or younger; 2 = 30 to 39 years old; 3 = 40–59 years old; 4 = 60 years old or older
	Qualifications	1 = No qualifications/Primary School; 2 = Middle school; 3 = High School; 4 = Higher Education
	Marital Status	1 = Single; 2 = Married; 3 = Divorced; 4 = Domestic Partnership 5 = Widowed
	Occupation	1 = Unemployed; 2 = Agricultural or forestry workers; 3 = Services and sales workers; 4 = Craft and related trades workers; 5 = Industry workers; 7 = Retired; 8 = Students; 9 = Firefighters; 10 = Others
Psychosocial	Community and Family Integration	1 = Dysfunctional Family; 2 = Difficulty in Integrating Community; 3 = Lives with the Family; 4 = Lives with Parents; 5 = Lives Alone; 6 = Lives in an Institution; 7 = Various
	Mental Health or Alcohol Consumption Problems	1 = Without; 2 = Alcohol Consumption Problems; 3 = Mental Health Problems; 4 = Both
Criminal behaviour	Criminal Record	1 = Without; 2 = Previous Arson Convictions; 3 = Previous Convictions for Other Crimes; 4 = Other (e.g. Suspect)
	Type of Substance Used at the Time of the Crime	1 = Alcohol; 2 = Drugs; 3 = Medicine; 4 = Various
	Motivation	1 = Expressive; 2 = Instrumental; 3 = Both
	Type of Motivation: Attention Seeking	1 = Yes; 2 = No
	Type of Motivation: Revenge / Rage	1 = Yes; 2 = No
	Type of Motivation: Boredom	1 = Yes; 2 = No
	Type of Motivation: Pleasure	1 = Yes; 2 = No
	Type of Motivation: Gains	1 = Yes; 2 = No
	Substance Abuse at the Time of the Crime	1 = Yes; 2 = No
	Behaviour After Crime	1 = Leaves the Crime Scene; 2 = Remains at the Crime Scene; 3 = Returns to the Crime Scene; 4 = Helps Extinguishing the Fire; 5 = Various
	Confession of the Crime	1 = Does Not Confess; 2 = Confesses
	Relationship with the Victim	1 = Unknown; 2 = Acquainted; 3 = Neighbor; 4 = Family Member; 5 = Friend; 6 = Own; 7 = Various
	Coauthors	1 = No; 2 = Yes
Crime scene	Type of Rural Area Burned: Bush	1 = Yes; 2 = No
	Type of Rural Area Burned: Forest	1 = Yes; 2 = No
	Type of Rural Area Burned: Pasture / Agricultural Field	1 = Yes; 2 = No
	Type of Ignition	1 = Simple (e.g. lighter); 2 = Complex (e.g. bomb)
	Distance of Fire Set from Offender’s House/Work	1 = Close to the Arsonist’s House; 2 = Close to the Arsonist’s Workplace; 3 = Far from the Arsonist’s House; 4 = Close to the Arsonist’s House/Workplace; 5 = Others
	Number of fires set	1 = One; 2 = Two or more
	Day of the Crime	1 = Working Days; 2 = Weekends; 3= Both

Table 2. Characteristics of rural arsonists.

Variables	Categories	N	%
Sex	Male	403	89.6
	Female	47	10.4
Age	29 years old or younger	84	18.7
	30 to 39 years	75	16.7
	40 to 59 years	210	46.7
	60 years old or older	75	16.7
	N/I	6	1.2
Marital Status	Single	234	53.9
	Married	108	24
	Divorced	64	14.2
	Domestic Partnership	17	3.8
	Widowed	11	2.4
	N/I	16	3.6
Qualifications	No qualifications/Primary School	182	40.2
	Middle School	109	24.2
	High School	47	10.4
	Higher Education	3	.7
	N/I	109	25.2
Professional Occupation	Unemployed	134	29.8
	Agricultural or forestry workers	84	18.7
	Retired	59	13.1
	Craft and related trades workers	54	12
	Service and sales workers	40	8.9
	Industry workers	18	4
	Students	12	2.7
	Firefighters	12	2.7
	Others	27	6
	N/I	10	2.2
Community and Family Integration	Lives with the Family	134	29.4
	Lives with Parents	101	22.1
	Lives Alone	106	23.2
	Lives in an Institution	14	3.1
	Dysfunctional Family	36	7.9
	Difficulty in Integrating the Community	9	2
	Various	37	8.1
	N/I	19	4.2
Criminal Record	Without	303	66.4
	Previous Convictions for Arson	79	17.3
	Previous Convictions for Other Crimes	24	5.3
	Other (e.g. Suspects)	43	9.4
	N/I	7	1.5
Mental Health or Alcohol Consumption Problems	None	157	34.4
	Alcohol Consumption Problems	149	32.7
	Mental Health Problems	96	21.1
	Both	31	6.8
	N/I	23	5
Number of Fires Set	One	367	81.6
	Two or more	74	16.4
	N/I	9	2
Motivation	Expressive	286	63.6
	Instrumental	78	17.3
	Both	86	19.1
Type of Expressive Motivation	Revenge / Rage	102	33.2
	Boredom	82	26.7
	Attention-seeking	78	25.4
Type of Instrumental Motivation^a	Gains	164	100
Relationship with the Victim	Unknown	225	50
	Neighbor	77	17.1
	Acquainted	59	13.1
	Family Member	20	4.4
	Own	19	4.2
	Friend	7	1.6
	Various	28	5.8
	N/I	17	3.8
Coauthors	No	411	91.3
	Yes	36	8
	N/I	3	.7
Distance of Fire from Arsonist’s House/Work	Close to the Arsonist’s House	346	76.9
	Far from the Arsonist’s House	50	11.1
	Close to the Arsonist’s Workplace	29	6.4
	Close to the Arsonist’s House and Workplace	12	2.7
	Others	10	2.2
	N/I	3	.7
Behaviour After Crime	Leaves the Crime Scene	307	68.2
	Remains at the Crime Scene	74	16.4
	Returns to the Crime Scene	37	8.2
	Helps Extinguishing the Fire	13	2.9
	Various	11	2.4
Confession of the Crime	Confesses	304	67.5
	Does Not Confess	112	24.9
	N/I	34	7.5
Substance Abuse at the Time of the Crime	Yes	224	49.8
	No	198	44
	N/I	28	6.2
Type of Substance Used at the Time of the Crime	Alcohol	199	44.2
	Medicine	11	2.4
	Drugs	3	1
	Various	11	2.4
	N/I	226	50
Day of the Crime	Working Days	305	67.8
	Weekends	124	27.6
	Both	12	2.7
	N/I	9	2
Ignition	Simple (e.g. lighter)	419	93.1
	Complex (e.g. bomb)	20	4.4
	N/I	11	2.4
Type of Rural Area Burned^b	Forest	312	47.6
	Bush	302	46
	Pasture / Agricultural Field	42	6.4

Note: ^aThe only type of instrumental motivation reported in the checklist was gains; ^bMore than one type can be selected; N/I = No Information

Table 3. Representation of the variables within clusters.

Variables	Categories	Cluster 1 Expressive – Mental Health Problems (n = 175; 38.9%)	Cluster 2 Expressive – Alcohol Consumption (n = 173; 38.4%)	Cluster 3 Instrumental – Socially Adjusted (n = 102; 22.7%)
	29 years or younger	n = 66 (37.7%)	n = 7 (4%)	n = 11 (10.8%)
Age	30 to 39 years	n = 32 (18.3%)	n = 27 (15.6%)	n = 16 (15.7%)
	40 to 59 years	n = 55 (32%)	n = 120 (70.6%)	n = 38 (37.2%)
	60 years or older	n = 21 (12%)	n = 17 (9.8%)	n = 37 (36.3%)
Qualifications	No qualifications/ Primary School	n = 38 (21.7%)	n = 99 (57.2%)	n = 45 (44.2%)
	Middle School	n = 49 (27%)	n = 39 (22.5%)	n = 21 (20.6%)
	High School	n = 28 (16%)	n = 6 (3.5%)	n = 13 (12.7%)
	Higher Education	–	–	n = 3 (2.9%)
Profession	Unemployed	n = 58 (33.1%)	n = 68 (39.3%)	n = 8 (7.8%)
	Agricultural or forestry workers	n = 21 (12%)	n = 26 (15%)	n = 37 (36.3%)
	Service and sales workers	n = 16 (9.1%)	n = 12 (6.9%)	n = 12 (11.8%)
	Craft and related trades workers	n = 14 (8%)	n = 34 (19.7%)	n = 6 (5.9%)
	Industry workers	n = 13 (7.4%)	–	n = 5 (4.9%)
	Retired	n = 22 (12.6%)	n = 17 (9.8%)	n = 20 (19.6%)
	Students	n = 12 (6.9%)	–	–
	Firefighters	n = 7 (4%)	–	n = 5 (4.9%)
	Others	n = 9 (5.1%)	n = 11 (6.4%)	n = 7 (6.8%)
Community and Family Integration	Dysfunctional Family	n = 9 (5.1%)	n = 22 (12.7%)	n = 5 (4.9%)
	Difficulty in Integrating Community	n = 3 (1.7%)	n = 6 (3.5%)	–
	Lives with the Family	n = 41 (23.4%)	n = 22 (12.7%)	n = 71 (69.6%)
	Lives with Parents	n = 73 (41.7%)	n = 17 (9.8%)	n = 11 (10.8%)
	Lives Alone	n = 17 (9.7%)	n = 80 (46.2%)	n = 9 (8.8%)
	Lives in an Institution	n = 12 (6.9%)	n = 2 (1.2%)	–
	Various	n = 16 (9.1%)	n = 18 (10.4%)	n = 3 (2.9%)
Alcohol Consumption at Moment of the Crime	Yes	n = 44 (25.1%)	n = 165 (95.4%)	n = 15 (14.7%)
	No	n = 113 (64.6%)	n = 6 (3.5%)	n = 79 (77.5%)
Mental Health / Alcohol Consumption Problems	None	n = 57 (32.6%)	n = 15 (8.7%)	n = 85 (83.3%)
	Alcohol Consumption Problems	n = 10 (5.7%)	n = 134 (77.5%)	n = 5 (4.9%)
	Mental Health Problems	n = 82 (46.9%)	n = 6 (3.5%)	n = 8 (7.8%)
	Both	n = 15 (8.6%)	n = 15 (8.7%)	n = 1 (1%)
Motivation	Expressive	n = 140 (80.9%)	n = 139 (81.3%)	n = 7 (6.9%)
	Instrumental	n = 2 (1.1%)	n = 2 (1.2%)	n = 74 (72.5%)
	Both	n = 33 (18%)	n = 32 (17.5%)	n = 21 (20.6%)

Note: The highest values in each category within clusters are represented in bold.

Data availability statement

Data not available due to ethical and legal restrictions.