Toward a criminology of terrorism / Gary LaFree.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

LaFree, Gary, author.

Series:

Cambridge elements. Elements in criminology, 2633-3341.

Cambridge elements. Elements in criminology, 2633-3341

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Criminology.

Terrorism.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (92 pages) : illustrations (colour), digital, PDF file(s).

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Cambridge : Cambridge University Press, 2023.

Summary:

The study of terrorism represents one of the major turning points in criminology of the twenty-first century. In the space of just two decades, research on terrorism and political extremism went from a relatively uncommon niche to a widely recognized criminological specialization. Terrorism research now appears in nearly all mainstream criminology journals; college courses on terrorism and political violence have been added to the curricula of most criminology departments; and a growing number of criminology students are choosing terrorism as a suitable topic for class papers, research topics, theses and dissertations. The purpose of this book is to explore similarities and differences between terrorism and more ordinary forms of crime. This Element considers the ways that criminology has contributed to the study of terrorism and the impact the increasing interest in terrorism has had on criminology. This Element also provides empirical comparisons of terrorist attacks to more ordinary crimes and criminal offenders. This title is also available as Open Access on Cambridge Core.

Contents:

Cover

Title page

Copyright page

Toward a Criminology of Terrorism

Contents

1 Introduction

Comparing Terrorism to Crime

Similarities between the Study of Terrorism and the Study of Crime

Differences between the Study of Terrorism and the Study of Crime

Terrorist Perpetrators, Unlike Common Criminals, Do Not See Themselves as Criminal

Lack of Traditional Criminology Data on Terrorism

Common Crimes Are Usually Local

Terrorism Often National or International

Common Criminals Seek Anonymity

Terrorist Perpetrators Seek Media Attention

Terrorism, Unlike Common Crime, Is Often a Means to Broader Goals

Conclusions

2 Impact of Criminology on Terrorism Research and Policy

Theoretical Contributions

Situational Criminology and the Routine Activities Theory

Rational Choice and Deterrence

Other Criminological Theories

Conclusions: Theoretical Contributions

Methodological Contributions

Series Hazard Modeling

Group-Based Trajectory Analysis

Self-exciting Point Process Methods

Analysis of Spatial and Temporal Clustering

Network Analysis

Agent-Based Modeling

Meta-analysis

Methods Contributions of Criminology: Conclusions

Advantages of Criminal Justice Processing

Contributions of Criminology to the Study of Terrorism

3 Terrorist Attacks, Terrorist Perpetrators and Criminal Offenders in the United States

The Frequency of Terrorist Attacks and Homicides in the United States

Comparing Terrorist Perpetrators and Prison Inmates

Perpetrator Age

Other Demographic Comparisons

County-Level Frequency of Terrorism and Homicide

Conclusions: Terrorist Perpetrators and Criminal Offenders in the United States

4 Worldwide Terrorism and Crime

The Development of Open Source Terrorism Databases

The 1970s and Earlier

The Late 1990s and Beyond.

The Quest for Valid International Crime Data

Conclusions: Terrorism Data versus Crime Data

Comparing Worldwide Frequencies of Terrorism and Homicide

Determinants of Worldwide Terrorism and Homicide

Youth Percentage

Economic Development

Income Inequality

Poverty

Urban Percentage

Strength of Democracy

Fragile States

Religious, Ethnic and Linguistic Diversity

Globalization

Population Size

Conclusions: Determinants of Worldwide Terrorism and Homicide

Conclusions: Worldwide Terrorism and Crime

5 Discussion and Conclusions

References.

Notes:

Also issued in print: 2023.

Includes bibliographical references.

Description based on online resource; title from PDF title page (viewed on June 29, 2023).

ISBN:

9781108987875

1108987877

9781108988605

1108988601

9781108981071

1108981070

Access Restriction:

Open Access. Unrestricted online access