ABSTRACT
This chapter provides an overview of important issues in offender risk assessment generally. It describes the characteristics and risk factors relevant to the assessment of arson offenders and how this links to risk assessment procedures used by the police. The scholarly literature regarding arson risk assessment is miniscule in comparison to that for general offending, violence. Arson offenders have also been found to have quite high rates of antisocial personality disorder, although scores on the Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R) have not been found to be significantly different to those of violent or sexual offenders. Repeat arsonists have also been found to have feelings of tension or excitement during firesetting, and a formal pyromania diagnosis were more prevalent in the recidivists. The Bushfire Arson Target Screening (BATS) was developed to assist Victoria Police, Australia, with arson offenders. The BATS can be used to both prioritise a list of suspects in unsolved cases and identify those parolees who require more intensive monitoring.
