PAPER (3 PAGES)
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PreventionofTerrorismPDF.pptxPrevention of Terrorism
This week
Focus on the pdf I posted on Opportunity & Terrorism
This American Life podcast on sting operations
Cover Ch.15 on your own
Situational context
Focusing on changing individuals – their thoughts, behavior – has proved fruitless
High investment, little return
The role of context can change behavior
“bad drivers, not cars, cause accidents”
Ex. Motorcycle law in Germany in the 1980s
Germany Public Health Experiment
Suicide and Homicide
Deeply motivated crimes
But are they susceptible to opportunity and context?
Research shows preferred options can drive up rates of suicide and homicide
When preferred options do not exist, rates go down
This establishes cause and effect
not sole determinant, but something that is strongly related
Head in the oven (ex.)
Handguns in the US
Matrix of Suicide Rationality
| Factors | 1- Head in the Oven | 2 - Gun | Other option |
| Ease | V+ | V- | |
| Speed | V+ | V+ | |
| Certainty | V+ | V+ |
Applying this thinking to terrorism
Individuals are deeply motivated to create terror
But they still need opportunities (training, skills, targets, and money)
Can we reduce terrorism by focusing on the context and opportunities to terrorize?
Can we make the most coveted targets (NYC, LA, DC, etc.) harder to penetrate?
What about displacement?
Israeli Defense Forces graph
Why were hijackings so popular in the 1960s and 1970s?
Refer to the pdf for the answer.
Does that make terrorists rational?
In 1973, three measures were implemented:
Baggage screening
US Air Marshals
Prosecutions of all offenders
Hijackings
What about displacement? Why not sabotage bombings?
What did we learn from 9/11?
How have we improved security on airlines and airports to reduce vulnerabilities?
Have they worked to reduce hijackings?
ESSAY Questions
How does opportunity play a role in suicides? What examples are mentioned in the pdf that reveal how suicides can be reduced over time? Why does the role of opportunity matter when we are thinking about securing airplanes from potential hijackers? Your answer should emanate from the book chapter “opportunity and terrorism” by Clarke and Newman (2005).
