Pyromania vs revenge – why do people light fires?

from All In The Mind · host Australian Broadcasting Corporation

Australians know the devastation of bushfires all too well. So why would anyone deliberately light a fire?In this episode of Criminal Psychology, our new four-part series on unusual crimes and unusual minds, we're exploring the psychology of arson.Answering questions like, how does it relate to pyromania? What do we know about the profile of a typical arsonist? And how do investigators track down the source of a blaze?Guests:Dr Paul ReadClimate criminologistDr Nichola TylerSenior lecturer, forensic psychologySwinburne University of TechnologyRichard WoodsDirector, Wildfire Investigations and AnalysisAdjunct Associate Lecturer, Wildfire Investigation, Charles Sturt UniversityCredits:Presenter/producer: Sana QadarSenior producer: James BullenProducer: Rose KerrSound engineer: Emrys CroninExtra information:Adults with intellectual disabilities and/or autism who deliberately set fires: A systematic reviewThe truth about Australia's fires — arsonists aren't responsible for many this seasonSome Coalition MPs say that arson is mostly to blame for the bushfire crisis. Here are the factsDeliberately lit vegetation fires in AustraliaClinical characteristics of child and adolescent psychiatric outpatients engaging in fireplay or arson: a case–control studyWhat are the differences between children and adolescents who deliberately light fires?The Acquisition of Fire

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published Jul 5, 2025

What this episode covers

Australians know the devastation of bushfires all too well. So why would anyone deliberately light a fire? In this episode of Criminal Psychology, our new four-part series on unusual crimes and unusual minds, we're exploring the psychology of arson. Answering questions like, how does it relate to pyromania? What do we know about the profile of a typical arsonist? And how do investigators track down the source of a blaze? Guests: Dr Paul Read Climate criminologist Dr Nichola Tyler Senior lecturer, forensic psychology Swinburne University of Technology Richard Woods Director, Wildfire Investigations and Analysis Adjunct Associate Lecturer, Wildfire Investigation, Charles Sturt University Credits: Presenter/producer: Sana Qadar Senior producer: James Bullen Producer: Rose Kerr Sound engineer: Emrys Cronin Extra information: Adults with intellectual disabilities and/or autism who deliberately set fires: A systematic review The truth about Australia's fires — arsonists aren't responsible for many this season Some Coalition MPs say that arson is mostly to blame for the bushfire crisis. Here are the facts Deliberately lit vegetation fires in Australia Clinical characteristics of child and adolescent psychiatric outpatients engaging in fireplay or arson: a case–control study What are the differences between children and adolescents who deliberately light fires? The Acquisition of Fire

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