The term “lone actor” has been applied to a variety of violent individuals, including jihadists, right-wing extremists, school shooters, and others whose crimes were ideologically motivated and... Show moreThe term “lone actor” has been applied to a variety of violent individuals, including jihadists, right-wing extremists, school shooters, and others whose crimes were ideologically motivated and generated much societal impact. It may be argued, however, that such a classification of this rare subset of violent offenders is an artificial one, based on political perspectives rather than on empirical findings. In this study, we examine and compare characteristics of European single perpetrators or lone actor terrorists to a large sample of European ‘common’ homicide offenders. Bivariate analysis shows that lone actors are significantly younger, more single, and more educated than homicide offenders. In terms of event characteristics, however, the two groups differ more substantially. Lone actors are more likely to attack ‘strangers’ in public places and to use firearms, while homicide offenders tend to attack victims they know in private settings and to use more hands-on methods. These differences may be understood through the notion of instrumental versus expressive motivations. Our findings question the classification of lone actors as an entity fundamentally different from our sample of single homicide offenders and call for future in-depth assessments of possible differences in homicidal drive. Show less
In deze editie komen enkele oud-winnaars van de Willem Nagelprijs (Marc Schuilenburg, Marieke Liem, Lieven Pauwels en Tom Daems) aan het woord komen over een carrière voor en na het winnen van de... Show moreIn deze editie komen enkele oud-winnaars van de Willem Nagelprijs (Marc Schuilenburg, Marieke Liem, Lieven Pauwels en Tom Daems) aan het woord komen over een carrière voor en na het winnen van de Willem Nagelprijs. Show less
Liem, M.C.A.; Buuren, G.M. van; Roy van Zuijdewijn, J.H. de; Schönberger, H.J.M.; Bakker, E. 2017
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
Naar aanleiding van de inwerkingtreding van het Besluit Adviescollege levenslanggestraften per 1 maart 2017, een eerste stap in een procedure tot tussentijdse toetsing van de levenslange... Show moreNaar aanleiding van de inwerkingtreding van het Besluit Adviescollege levenslanggestraften per 1 maart 2017, een eerste stap in een procedure tot tussentijdse toetsing van de levenslange gevangenisstraf, wordt gekeken naar de Verenigde Staten. Daar wordt de mogelijkheid tot ‘parole’, een met de tussentijdse toetsing vergelijkbaar systeem, al lange tijd toegepast. In dit artikel wordt ingegaan op de vraag welke lessen geleerd kunnen worden van de praktijk van de zogenaamde ‘Parole Board hearings’. Om deze vraag te beantwoorden wordt ingegaan op de achtergrond en werking van parole en de wijze waarin parole in de praktijk tot uitvoer wordt gebracht. Daarbij wordt aandacht besteed aan de samenstelling van Parole Boards, de invloed van nabestaanden op de parolebeslissing, het moment waarop die beslissing wordt genomen en de wijze waarop re-integratie na parole vorm krijgt. Op basis van de valkuilen die in de Amerikaanse praktijk worden aangetroffen, worden aandachtspunten voor de Nederlandse procedure geformuleerd. Show less
In deze editie komen enkele oud-winnaars van de Willem Nagelprijs (Marc Schuilenburg, Marieke Liem, Lieven Pauwels en Tom Daems) aan het woord komen over een carrière voor en na het winnen van de... Show moreIn deze editie komen enkele oud-winnaars van de Willem Nagelprijs (Marc Schuilenburg, Marieke Liem, Lieven Pauwels en Tom Daems) aan het woord komen over een carrière voor en na het winnen van de Willem Nagelprijs. Show less
The purpose of this paper is to explore how a copycat effect – established within the field of suicide studies – may manifest itself in terrorist suicide attacks, and takes an exploratory approach... Show moreThe purpose of this paper is to explore how a copycat effect – established within the field of suicide studies – may manifest itself in terrorist suicide attacks, and takes an exploratory approach in evaluating the prospect of incorporating open-data resources in future counter-terrorism research. This paper explores a possible ‘copycat effect’ in cases of suicide terrorism, which entails a perpetrator being inspired by a preceding attack to carry out a similar attack not long after the original. In the wake of mounting risks of lone wolf terrorist attacks today and due to the general difficulties faced in preventing such attacks, in this paper we explore a potential area of future prevention in media reporting, security and anti-terrorism policies today. Using the START Global Terrorism Database (GTD), this paper investigates terrorist suicide-attack clusters and analyses the relationship between attacks found within the same cluster. Using a mixed-method approach, our analyses did not uncover clear evidence supporting a copycat effect among the studied attacks. These and other findings have numerous policy and future research implications. Show less
Illicit drugs continue to be a profitable area for criminal organizations operating within the EU. Drug use and drug markets can act as facilitators for all types of violence, which could... Show moreIllicit drugs continue to be a profitable area for criminal organizations operating within the EU. Drug use and drug markets can act as facilitators for all types of violence, which could ultimately lead to homicide. Yet, drug-related homicide (DRH) has not been monitored. The development of a drug-related homicide data collection is necessary to study this phenomenon. This report provides a first step towards a European-level DRH monitor. Show less
Illicit drugs continue to be a profitable area for criminal organizations operating within the EU. Drug use and drug markets can act as facilitators for all types of violence, which could... Show moreIllicit drugs continue to be a profitable area for criminal organizations operating within the EU. Drug use and drug markets can act as facilitators for all types of violence, which could ultimately lead to homicide. Yet, drug-related homicide (DRH) has not been monitored. The development of a drug-related homicide data collection is necessary to study this phenomenon. This report provides a first step towards a European-level DRH monitor. Show less
Liem, M.C.A.; Kivivuori, J.K.A.; Lethi, M.; Granath, S.; Schönberger, H. 2017
En raison des différences en matière de définitions, de sources de données et de procédures judiciaires, comparer les homicides perpétrés dans les pays européens n’est pas une tâche aisée. Face à... Show moreEn raison des différences en matière de définitions, de sources de données et de procédures judiciaires, comparer les homicides perpétrés dans les pays européens n’est pas une tâche aisée. Face à ces limites, nous avons établi une base de données commune sur les homicides en Europe (EHM). La Finlande, les Pays-Bas et la Suède sont les trois pays fondateurs de cette base de données ; toutefois, des actions ont été menées en vue de mettre en oeuvre cet outil dans d’autres pays d’Europe. Dans ce document, nous présentons cet ensemble de données ainsi qu’une récente analyse de l’un des types d’homicides les plus répandus : l’homicide conjugal. Ces résultats montrent que l’EHM, en tant que base de données commune, fournit une occasion unique de surveiller de près, et de manière détaillée, divers types d’homicides à travers l’Europe. Show less
De afgelopen jaren is het aantal opleggingen van levenslange gevangenisstraf drastisch gestegen. Daarnaast heeft er een wijziging van het beleid rond de tenuitvoerlegging plaatsgevonden, waardoor... Show moreDe afgelopen jaren is het aantal opleggingen van levenslange gevangenisstraf drastisch gestegen. Daarnaast heeft er een wijziging van het beleid rond de tenuitvoerlegging plaatsgevonden, waardoor de levenslange straf veranderde van een straf die kon eindigen met een voorwaardelijke invrijheidstelling, in een straf die in beginsel daadwerkelijk levenslang zou moeten duren. Wetenschappelijke publicaties over levenslang in Nederland hebben zich tot nu toe vooral gericht op het juridische kader – waarbij het sociaalwetenschappelijk/gedragskundig kader onderbelicht is gebleven. Deze pilotstudie heeft als doel inzicht te vergroten in de detentiebeleving van (levens)langgestraften. Hiertoe zijn 7 levenslanggestraften en 7 langgestraften geïnterviewd, die verbleven in penitentiaire inrichtingen verspreid over Nederland. Met deze studie vragen we aandacht voor de uitzonderlijke gedragskundige problematiek onder een onderbelichte gevangenispopulatie. Show less
In recent decades, the number of long-term detainees held worldwide has increased significantly. Academics and policy makers have begun to challenge the widespread use and effectiveness of such... Show more In recent decades, the number of long-term detainees held worldwide has increased significantly. Academics and policy makers have begun to challenge the widespread use and effectiveness of such severe sentences, however. This article aims to shed light on the role of human rights in imposing and executing long-term custodial sentences. There appears to be tension between ensuring that human rights are respected and provision of security through the incapacitation of offenders. This tension can only be understood properly in the context of contemporary risk-management associated with increased punitiveness. Show less
Homicide followed by the suicide of the perpetrator often leads to shock and incomprehension. It has been suggested that media reporting on such cases could lead to an imitation effect. This... Show moreHomicide followed by the suicide of the perpetrator often leads to shock and incomprehension. It has been suggested that media reporting on such cases could lead to an imitation effect. This article describes the nature and incidence of homicide-suicide in the Netherlands in the period 1992-2014. In addition, it assesses whether a copycat-effect can be established due to media reporting. Results show that homicide-suicides occur on average nine times per year. Intimate partner homicide-suicide and child homicide-suicide are the most frequent types of homicide-suicide. Even though several temporal clusters could be observed during the period of study, there are insufficient indications to confirm a copycat-effect. This may be attributed to the heterogeneous and multifaceted nature of this phenomenon, lacking one single potentially ‘contagious’ cause. Show less
De rol van publieke belangstelling na de vrijlating van ex-gedetineerden is tot op heden veelal verwaarloosd in eerder wetenschappelijk onderzoek. Dit vormde het startpunt van deze verkennende... Show moreDe rol van publieke belangstelling na de vrijlating van ex-gedetineerden is tot op heden veelal verwaarloosd in eerder wetenschappelijk onderzoek. Dit vormde het startpunt van deze verkennende studie. Aan de hand van een select aantal interviews hebben we een aantal aspecten van de problematiek van deze groep ex-gedetineerden in kaart proberen te brengen. Show less
Previous studies reveal an elevated suicide rate for anaesthesiologists. We sought to examine anaesthesiologist suicide mortality and its underlying explanatory factors. Two studies were conducted... Show morePrevious studies reveal an elevated suicide rate for anaesthesiologists. We sought to examine anaesthesiologist suicide mortality and its underlying explanatory factors. Two studies were conducted in order to establish the suicide mortality figures among Dutch anaesthesiologists and to investigate life events, workrelated stress, psychological problems and alcohol- and drug abuse in relation to suicidal ideation. The results suggest that suicide mortality in anaesthesiologists in The Netherlands is elevated, and comparable to that in other Western countries, but small numbers prevent robust testing of this difference. Anaesthesiologists are more likely than the general population to experience sleeping problems and suicidal ideation; male anaesthesiologists are more likely to suffer from depression. The prevalence of suicide among this population may be related to a high prevalence of psychological problems, in addition to the knowledge and availability of means. Areas of suicide prevention among this group are discussed. Show less
Ganpat, S.M.; Liem, M.C.A.; Leun, J.P. van der; Nieuwbeerta, P. 2014
