... within society today; furthermore arson or 'firesetting' is increasing in occurrence at an alarming rate, doubling since 1991 with vehicle arson being the fastest growing type, having trebled during the same time period3. Table 1 illustrates the huge overall increase in arson fires, 29% between 1996 and 2001, is almost solely due to the rise in fires in road vehicles. These have risen by 46% over this period and in 2000 accounted for 64% of all arson fires in England and Wales. The majority of offenders are young and teenage (10-17 year olds) boys who make up 40% of those prosecuted or cautioned for arson. Women make up a very small of those who commit arson, and if they do, it is almost always a revenge motivated attack (Icove and Estepp, 1987). Not all communities suffer the same risk of becoming victims of arson. Nearly half of fires ...

See this essay or coursework document in full right now