Aims: It was found that radicalisation spreads through a social contagion process, where endemic factors, such as socio-economic factors may influence an individual’s risk of radicalisation....Show moreAims: It was found that radicalisation spreads through a social contagion process, where endemic factors, such as socio-economic factors may influence an individual’s risk of radicalisation. However, it was also found how radicalisation is influenced by the available structure of political opportunities within a country. Making the relationship to likely be non-linear. This study therefore investigates the interaction between certain factors that can trigger individuals to violently radicalise and the influence of racial supremacy. Methods: Data was gathered from PIRUS an open-source dataset on radicalised individuals from the US. The selected sample (N= 975) consisted of two ideological subcategories, both with a sense of feeling of racial supremacy. White supremacists and black separatists were selected to be able to analyse the interaction between group grievances and violent radicalisation type. Results: The association between group grievances and violence was significant for the aggregate sample (OR= 1.69, p= <.001) representing a small effect size. It was most salient for black separatists (OR=7.21) representing a large effect size and less salient for white supremacists (OR=1.58). To further answer the research question, group grievance and an interaction term between the radicalisation type and group grievance were included in a binary logistic regression model. Results showed that the overall model is significant (x2 (2,671) = 21,83, p.- <.001). It was found that the model correctly identifies 66.8% of the cases. Furthermore, the produced interaction term was found to be a significant contributor (OR= 1.76, CI 1.88-18.06). Conclusions: It was found that radicalised individuals that are involved in terrorist violence are characterized by higher rates of group grievances than their non-involved radical counterparts. Based on this finding, it can be concluded that radicalisation type interacts with group grievances. The relationship is not changed by the interaction, it rather explains it. Therefore, the presence of group grievances can be seen as a mediator. Lastly, differences were found regarding ideological subcategory that was characterized by racial supremacy. Black separatists were found to have more salient results regarding group grievances and socio-economic factors. This could be explained by the available political and societal structures present in the United States. These findings have possible implications for real-world and scientific practices.Show less
Homicide followed by suicide is a rare yet serious event of interpersonal violence. While observed globally, extensive research on this topic has primarily focused on large-scale, developed...Show moreHomicide followed by suicide is a rare yet serious event of interpersonal violence. While observed globally, extensive research on this topic has primarily focused on large-scale, developed countries. Little attention has been given to studying homicide-suicide incidents in a diverse array of small-scale subsistence societies and comparing those to homicide-suicides in industrialized countries. Aiming to obtain a deeper understanding of this phenomenon, this study compares the incidences and patterns of homicide-suicides in industrial/post-industrial societies to those in subsistence societies. The findings reveal that homicide-suicides commonly involve intimate partners in both types of societies, with male perpetrators targeting female victims. Regardless, the results also display cross-national differences, particularly regarding age, motives, and the use of firearms in the offense. This paper indicates that both significant similarities and distinctions are present in homicide-suicides across societies worldwide. Cross-cultural differences may explain the observed variations of homicide-suicide patterns and characteristics internationally.Show less
Somalia and Nigeria have been struggling economically and politically in the past decades, mainly due to the rise of the insurgent groups Al-Shabaab and Boko Haram. The counterinsurgency efforts by...Show moreSomalia and Nigeria have been struggling economically and politically in the past decades, mainly due to the rise of the insurgent groups Al-Shabaab and Boko Haram. The counterinsurgency efforts by both the Somali and the Nigerian government have been a topic of debate since the start of the conflict, discussing recommendations and best practices to bring back peace and prosperity in the region. This study, however, aimed to shift this debate to discuss the effectiveness of their counterinsurgency strategies, while focusing heavily on context. Thus, analyzing the contextual factors of Somalia and Nigeria through several dimensions has resulted in an understanding of how the context influences the outcome. These dimensions are economics, domestic politics and international politics. The findings of this research show that Somalia lacks the funds, political willingness and functioning governmental institutions to effectively engage in non-military counterinsurgency. However, due to international assistance, their military efforts to fight Al-Shabaab have been more successful. On the other hand, Nigeria has a stronger economy and more organized government, but faces the issue of unhappiness among the population leading to a rise in insurgency recruitment. Developmental and humanitarian aid provided by the international community can help the country in the long-term, as long as the unrest within the population is resolved.Show less
This paper answers the research question: ‘How are the people of London, United Kingdom, experiencing the effects of terrorist attacks in their daily lives?’, using ethnographyas a way of...Show moreThis paper answers the research question: ‘How are the people of London, United Kingdom, experiencing the effects of terrorist attacks in their daily lives?’, using ethnographyas a way of behavioral observation.Online interviews were conducted and used as the main sourceof data, as the research was conducted from The Hague, and there were time constraints. The interlocutors were gathered through LinkedIn and required to live in London for at least five years. Asthere is no current ethnographic research, mostly psychological literature was used to relate the data to. Multiple themes emerged from the interviews, consisting of, the effects of encountering terrorism, the effects of terrorist activity on police and travel, and the change in the city dynamics. These factors all influence the interlocutors in their daily lives, and contribute toa change in decision-making. It is concluded that safety enhancing procedures may seem like an overreaction and irrelevant nowadays, as stated by some interlocutors. Even though in the immediate aftermath of an attack, awareness and fear rise, there is a focus on the resilience of London, claiming the city is multicultural and does not give in. The interlocutors agree that they are aware of the possible risk of a terrorist attack, however, they are not willing to change their daily routine, adapting to this risk. Therefore, the effects of terrorism can be felt, but do not take the upper hand in the interlocutors’ lives.Show less
This paper analyzes the extent to which political factors influence Espionage Act intelligence prosecution cases in the United States. This is achieved through a literature review of the politics...Show moreThis paper analyzes the extent to which political factors influence Espionage Act intelligence prosecution cases in the United States. This is achieved through a literature review of the politics of intelligence and the judiciary in the U.S., which is consequently developed into a framework that identifies four general factors: judicial process, political climate, national security, and political incentives. This framework is then applied to the respective contexts of two Espionage Act prosecution cases: the Ellsberg Pentagon Papers case of 1971 and the Manning WikiLeaks case of 2010. The study concludes that political factors influence Espionage Act prosecution cases to a large extent, although constitutional separation of powers ensures a due process guided by a fairly independent judiciary.Show less
Last year, in August 2021, the US Troops were withdrawn from Afghanistan after 20 years of combatting the Taliban; since this was a deal made in 2020, the Taliban lay in waiting for the moment to...Show moreLast year, in August 2021, the US Troops were withdrawn from Afghanistan after 20 years of combatting the Taliban; since this was a deal made in 2020, the Taliban lay in waiting for the moment to come out of hiding. This paper focuses on finding out the impact of the sanctions placed on the Afghan country and society because of the Taliban’s re-entry into power. The method used for this research was a qualitative case study. This was done based on secondary sources concerning Afghanistan's history and contemporary events. Analysis of these sources showed the changing heart of America’s way of tackling these crises with a positive future perspective on handling these humanitarian crises. This research showed changing attitudes concerning the trade and official business with organisations deemed as terrorists; adversely, these changes will be seen in the future as current events are still largely influenced by the past notion of handling these humanitarian issues.Show less
Peru along with most other countries in Latin America has a history of authoritarian rule and repression. Since 2000, the country has undergone democratic reforms which prove to be slow in progress...Show morePeru along with most other countries in Latin America has a history of authoritarian rule and repression. Since 2000, the country has undergone democratic reforms which prove to be slow in progress and obstructed by the legacy left behind by Fujimori and Montesinos’ regime in the 1990s. With the purpose of contributing to a currently scarce pool of literature on intelligence studies in Latin America, this paper seeks to assess to which extent these authoritarian legacies continue to persist in Peru’s intelligence services after its official transition to democracy in 2000. Using press material, official documents, academic literature and further secondary sources, this paper collected information on scandals and controversies involving the intelligence services and its practices. By drawing comparisons to aspects mentioned in the historical context and conceptual framework, this paper was able to illustrate the extent to which authoritarianism still remains within the intelligence apparatus. Based on the results that show instability in combination with a general lack of interest in reform and hence a continuation of intelligence practices deemed undemocratic, illegitimate, disorganized, and highly politicized, it can be concluded that authoritarian legacies still remain in today’s intelligence services to a large extent. Furthermore, the paper reflects on its reliability and validity in regards to its research design and data, stating that due to Peru’s lack of legal frameworks concerning intelligence agencies, it remains challenging to clearly outline their structure and functions.Show less
Objectives: This study aims to examine the effects of information on the security perception of people on Dual-Use Technologies (DUT), more specifically genome engineering. Genome engineering is a...Show moreObjectives: This study aims to examine the effects of information on the security perception of people on Dual-Use Technologies (DUT), more specifically genome engineering. Genome engineering is a group of technologies that have made it possible for scientists to construct entire genes and microbial genomes from scratch, in addition to being able to modify an organism’s genetic material (Tucker, 2012a). Design: Self-administered web-based cross-sectional survey, designed using Qualtrics. The data were analysed with version 28.0.1.0 (142) of the statistical software package IBM® SPSS® Statistics. Participants: Participants over the age of 18 were included in the survey. A total of 129 respondents participated in the survey. The results of 9 participants were excluded due to non- completion, leaving 120 participants. Of those, 112 were between 18 and 32 years old. Furthermore, 109 participants lived in Europe, with a majority of 67 participants living in Germany. Outcomes: Baseline awareness surrounding DUT. Risk perception of genome engineering and security perception measures when exposed to different vignettes. Results: The results showed that 45.8% of respondents were aware of DUT and 44.2% knew examples of DUT. The analysis of variance proved not to be statistically significant p = .512. Conclusion: After running an Independent-Samples Kruskal Wallis Test to determine if there were differences in secperception scores between the three vignettes, the results were p = .512 and proved not to be statistically significant. Therefore, the null hypothesis is retained, proving that there is no significant change in security perception when being exposed to different amounts and types of information.Show less
