Assessing the Attractiveness and Vulnerability of Eco-Terrorism Targets: A Situational Crime Prevention Approach

• NCJ Number: 249452
• Journal: Studies in Conflict & Terrorism Volume: 38 Issue: 6 Dated: June 2015 Pages: 433-455
• Date Published: June 2015
• Author(s): Jeff Gruenwald; Kayla Allison-Gruenwald; Brent R. Klein
• Length: 23 pages
• Grant Number(s): 2013-ZA-BX-0001
• Agencies: NIJ-Sponsored
• Publication Type: Research (Applied/Empirical)

Annotation

This study assessed the vulnerability and attractiveness of eco-terrorism targets in the United States, based on a situational crime prevention approach.

Abstract

Descriptive findings generally support expectations that eco-terrorists select targets based on their vulnerability and attractiveness. The study concludes with several implications for homeland security policy and a call for further exploration into new and alternative operationalizations of eco-terrorism target attributes. Data from the American Terrorism Study were extracted for eight different targets, including exposed, vital, iconic, legitimate, destructible, occupied, near, and easy. (Publisher abstract modified)