Are Arsonists Usually Male?

Historically, arson has been considered a male crime. In the first major study, conducted in the United States (Lewis and Yarnell 1951), males accounted for 85% of the sample group.

Are most arsonists male or female?

About 90% of all arsonists are male and they are usually white, states the FBI report. On Tuesday, California authorities released a composite sketch of a white man believed to be in his late 20s, who was seen by eyewitnesses starting one of the fires.

Are men more likely to be arsonists?

Women make up only a small percentage of arsonists, said Wang, a fourth-year medical student at McMaster University. "It's hard to know the true number, but in most studies [the ratio of males to females] is somewhere between 5 to 1 and 10 to 1."