De afgelopen jaren werd Nederland geconfronteerd met een toename van aanslagen door de georganiseerde misdaad op objecten en personen die geen onderdeel uitmaken van criminele netwerken. Tegen deze... Show moreDe afgelopen jaren werd Nederland geconfronteerd met een toename van aanslagen door de georganiseerde misdaad op objecten en personen die geen onderdeel uitmaken van criminele netwerken. Tegen deze achtergrond wordt door politici en journalisten steeds vaker de term narcoterrorisme gebruikt. In dit artikel wordt de herkomst van deze term onderzocht en gekeken in welke mate deze past bij de situatie in Nederland met betrekking tot de georganiseerde misdaad. Daarnaast worden de voor- en nadelen benoemd van het gebruik van deze term in het maatschappelijke en wetenschappelijke debat. Tot slot reflecteren we op de politieke aandacht voor dit geweld en de impact daarvan op de democratische rechtsorde. Show less
De ‘Verdieping Bewaken en Beveiligen’ brengt verdieping aan op actuele gebeurtenissen en ontwikkelingen gerelateerd aan het stelsel Bewaken en Beveiligen. Deze Verdieping wordt aangeboden aan... Show moreDe ‘Verdieping Bewaken en Beveiligen’ brengt verdieping aan op actuele gebeurtenissen en ontwikkelingen gerelateerd aan het stelsel Bewaken en Beveiligen. Deze Verdieping wordt aangeboden aan experts die werkzaam zijn bij de stelselpartners en de ketenpartners van het stelsel. Daarnaast wordt dit product aangeboden aan geïnteresseerden in een bredere kring rond het stelsel, waaronder academici, journalisten en politici. Show less
This article provides a reflection on the jihadist threat, the policies and actors that deal with this threat and the impact of jihadism and counterterrorism in Western Europe in the past twenty... Show moreThis article provides a reflection on the jihadist threat, the policies and actors that deal with this threat and the impact of jihadism and counterterrorism in Western Europe in the past twenty years. It describes how the threat, counterterrorism policies and their impact have developed over time and demonstrates how threat perceptions in society and the political arena have not always been aligned with the actual threat. There have been periods of disbalance between the threat and responses to it, leading to both overreactions and inflated threat descriptions and fear levels, as well as periods with limited attention that might have contributed to unpleasant surprises at a later stage. Against this backdrop, the article criticises the incident-driven approach to counterterrorism and warns against both overreactions as well as ‘jihadism fatigue’. Show less
Background Medical doctors with postgraduate training in Global Health and Tropical Medicine (MDGHTM) from the Netherlands, a high-income country with a relatively low caesarean section rate,... Show moreBackground Medical doctors with postgraduate training in Global Health and Tropical Medicine (MDGHTM) from the Netherlands, a high-income country with a relatively low caesarean section rate, assist associate clinicians in low-income countries regarding decision-making during labour. Objective of this study was to assess impact of the presence of MDGHTMs in a rural Malawian hospital on caesarean section rate and indications. Methods This retrospective pre- and post-implementation study was conducted in a rural hospital in Malawi, where MDGHTMs were employed from April 2015. Indications for caesarean section were audited against national protocols and defined as supported or unsupported by these protocols. Caesarean section rates and numbers of unsupported indications for the years 2015 and 2016 per quarter for different staff cadres were assessed by linear regression. Results Six hundred forty-five women gave birth by caesarean section in the study period. The caesarean rate dropped from 20.1 to 12.8% (p < 0.05, R-2 = 0.53, y = - 0.0086x + 0.2295). Overall 132 of 501 (26.3%) auditable indications were not supported by documentation in medical records. The proportion of unsupported indications dropped significantly over time from 47.0 to 4.4% (p < 0.01, R-2 = 0.71, y = - 0.0481x + 0.4759). Stratified analysis for associate clinicians only (excluding caesarean sections performed by medical doctors) showed a similar decrease from 48.3 to 6.5% (p < 0.05, R-2 = 0.55, y = - 0.0442x + 0.4805). Conclusions Our results indicate that presence of MDGHTMs was accompanied by considerable decreases in caesarean section rate and proportion of unsupported indications for caesarean section in this facility. Their presence is likely to have influenced decision-making by associate clinicians. Show less
Bennink, D.; Voorham, J.; Putter, H.; Bakker, E.; Pelger, R.; Voorham-van der Zalm, P. 2020
Terrorisme kan bezien worden als een extreme vorm van (gewelddadig) crimineelgedrag. Tegen deze achtergrond is het noodzakelijk om kennis uit de criminologie te vergaren,om zo terrorismeonderzoek... Show moreTerrorisme kan bezien worden als een extreme vorm van (gewelddadig) crimineelgedrag. Tegen deze achtergrond is het noodzakelijk om kennis uit de criminologie te vergaren,om zo terrorismeonderzoek te versterken. In dit overzicht beschrijven de auteurshoe criminologische theorieën een significante bijdrage kunnen leveren in het duidenvan de onderliggende oorzaken van terrorisme. Eerdere bijdragen van de criminologieaan terrorismeonderzoek waren voornamelijk theorieverbredend opgesteld, zoals deroutine-activiteitentheorie, de rationele-keuzetheorie en de strain-theorie, maar hetontbrak bij deze exercities aan empirische gegevens. Er is op heden weinig bekend overempirische bruikbaarheid en toepasbaarheid van andere criminologische theorieën,waarbij vooral desistance-theorieën nadere aandacht verdienen. Voor een beter en brederbegrip van terrorisme alsook een beter contraterrorismebeleid dienen empirischedata verzameld te worden. Zo kunnen terrorismeonderzoekers, in nauwe samenwerkingmet criminologen, de noodzakelijke empirische en theoretische verdieping aanbrengenin dit relatief onontgonnen veld. Show less
Bakker, E.; Sciarone, J.; Roy van Zuijdewijn, J. de 2019
In dit vierde rapport in de reeks worden ontwikkelingen besproken ten aanzien van het beleid met betrekking tot personen die terugkeren uit jihadistische strijdgebieden, zogeheten ‘terugkeerders’,... Show moreIn dit vierde rapport in de reeks worden ontwikkelingen besproken ten aanzien van het beleid met betrekking tot personen die terugkeren uit jihadistische strijdgebieden, zogeheten ‘terugkeerders’, voor de periode januari 2017 tot medio december 2018. Bijzondere aandacht wordt geschonken aan de rol van overheden van de zeven landen bij de repatriëring van uitreizigers en de manier waarop zij omgaan met de uitreizigers op het moment van terugkeer. Hierbij wordt specifiek gekeken naar het beleid ten aanzien van vrouwen en kinderen. Show less
his article empirically assesses the applicability of structural-level hypotheses for involvement in terrorism within the context of European homegrown jihadism. It uses these hypotheses to study... Show morehis article empirically assesses the applicability of structural-level hypotheses for involvement in terrorism within the context of European homegrown jihadism. It uses these hypotheses to study how structural factors influenced involvement in the Dutch “Hofstadgroup.” Structural factors enabled the group’s emergence and its participants’ adoption of extremist views. They also motivated involvement in political violence and a shift in some participants’ focus from joining Islamist insurgents overseas to committing terrorism in the Netherlands. Finally, structural factors precipitated an actual terrorist attack. No support is found for the frequently encountered argument that discrimination and exclusion drive involvement in European homegrown jihadism. Instead, geopolitical grievances were prime drivers of this process. Show less
Schuurman, B.W.; Bakker, E.; Gill, P.; Bouhana, N. 2018
This article provides an in-depth assessment of lone actor terrorists’ attack planning and preparation. A codebook of 198 variables related to different aspects of pre-attack behavior is applied to... Show moreThis article provides an in-depth assessment of lone actor terrorists’ attack planning and preparation. A codebook of 198 variables related to different aspects of pre-attack behavior is applied to a sample of 55 lone actor terrorists. Data were drawn from open-source materials and complemented where possible with primary sources. Most lone actors are not highly lethal or surreptitious attackers. They are generally poor at maintaining operational security, leak their motivations and capabilities in numerous ways, and generally do so months and even years before an attack. Moreover, the “loneness” thought to define this type of terrorism is generally absent; most lone actors uphold social ties that are crucial to their adoption and maintenance of the motivation and capability to commit terrorist violence. The results offer concrete input for those working to detect and prevent this form of terrorism and argue for a re-evaluation of the “lone actor” concept. Show less
Wittendorp, S.; Bont, R. de; Bakker, E.; Roy van Zuijdewijn, J. de 2017
From the time when the problem of people travelling to areas of conflict in Syria and Iraq became a topical issue at the end of 2012, many European countries as well as the United States have taken... Show moreFrom the time when the problem of people travelling to areas of conflict in Syria and Iraq became a topical issue at the end of 2012, many European countries as well as the United States have taken measures to prevent actual or would-be travellers and to prosecute and/or monitor returnees. This report provides an overview of measures taken, and the instances in which they are being taken, focusing on "person-specific measures". The report shows that the reviewed countries generally take similar initiatives. Nonetheless, there are significant differences in terms of political organisation, powers and legal culture. In a broader sense, this report attempts to shed light on the changing toolbox states have at their disposal as they try to face up to potentially violent, internationally operating non-state actors. Show less
Wittendorp, S.; Bont, R. de; Roy van Zuijdewijn, J.H. de; Bakker, E. 2017
This report offers an understanding of counter-terrorism and counter-radicalisation policies in the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, Germany, France, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Its... Show moreThis report offers an understanding of counter-terrorism and counter-radicalisation policies in the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, Germany, France, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Its emphasis is on developments following the 11 September 2001 attacks, and addresses the phenomenon referred to as jihadism. The report identifies three developments: 1) the development of counterterrorism and counterradicalisation as actual policy domains, 2) increased coordination of policy and initiatives for information-sharing, 3) unclear demarcation of the policy domain. Show less
The term “Lone Actor” has been applied to a variety of violent individuals who are thought to act out of ideological motivations using terrorist tactics. So far, much of the research is U.S.-based.... Show moreThe term “Lone Actor” has been applied to a variety of violent individuals who are thought to act out of ideological motivations using terrorist tactics. So far, much of the research is U.S.-based. There is an empirical vacuum of Lone Actor violence in Europe and a conceptual gap in how these acts may be understood as a variation of homicidal behavior. We examine and compare characteristics of European Lone Actors to European “common” homicide offenders. Lone Actor terrorists constitute a heterogeneous group that is similar to homicide offenders but differs in terms of substance use, weapon use, and target. These findings may be understood in the context of instrumental versus expressive aims. Show less
Bakker, W.; Bakker, E.; Huigens, A.C.; Kaunda, E.; Beltman, J.J.; Akker, T.H. van den 2017
