Is There a Relationship Between Characteristics of the Locations of Terrorism Events and the Number of Fatalities that Result?
Date
2013-02-18
Authors
Mansfield, Lauren E.
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Abstract
This thesis analyzes the relationship between characteristics of the locations of terrorism events and the number of fatalities that result. Through the lenses of environmental criminology, routine activities theory, and opportunity theory, the characteristics of locations that suffered an attack are collected and examined against the number of fatalities in that attack using the University of Maryland’s National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (START) Global Terrorism Database and major news outlets. Although limited in available data, this study cautiously finds a statistically significant relationship between fatalities and certain types of guardianship in an unexpected direction, time, and method of attack of the terrorist organization. These findings question the appropriateness of applying routine activities theory and environmental criminology to the study of terrorism.
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Keywords
Terrorism, Environmental criminology, Fatalities, Location, Routine activities theory