ABSTRACT

This chapter identifies future research priorities for the advancement of firesetting knowledge. While not an explicit component of the Multi-Trajectory Theory of Adult Firesetting (M-TTAF) model, an understanding of the extent of deliberate firesetting behaviour is central to our understanding of it: if our knowledge about who sets fires is limited, then so is our ability to generalise an aetiological model. While research into firesetting behaviour during childhood and adolescence is relatively well developed compared with that into adult firesetting there is a dearth of knowledge about the relationship between firesetting in youth and its continuation into adulthood. With some exceptions, the current firesetting literature comprises small-to-medium-scale studies primarily of institutionalised individuals, often those with mental disorder, and often with non-existent or inadequate control groups. These issues have all hindered the progress of research into the specific psychological vulnerabilities that may contribute to firesetting behaviour.