ABSTRACT
Each chapter in the following section has been chosen to reflect an area of topical interest in forensic work. It commences with a chapter on firesetting by Nichola Tyler and Theresa A. Gannon. Firesetters are perhaps one of the least understood and researched in comparison to other offender groups. This is captured well by Tyler and Gannon who note the tendency for research to focus on typologies and less on risk and function, and even less on treatment. This is what makes their chapter of such value since they are aiming to contribute to the field by addressing these neglected areas of understanding. Indeed, I can recall my early work as a forensic psychologist where we had virtually nothing to rely on to assist with this group of offenders other than limited papers on functional assessments of such offenders, but even then such papers would refer to typology (i.e. pathological versus non-pathological firesetters). This would leave them of limited use for empirically based treatment; understanding an offence is clearly helpful but the next step is being able to outline and defend what can reduce an individual’s risk via treatment. This is what makes the contribution of Tyler and Gannon so helpful.
