NCJ Number
83359
Date Published
1982
Length
292 pages
Annotation
A perspective on the related problems of international terrorism, crime, and the arms trade focuses on international cooperation in legal and judiciary systems, international police and peacekeeping forces, and efforts at arms control.
Abstract
Regional crime patterns, as examined in a 1976 United Nations survey and corroborated in other statistics, suggest an increase in international offenses involving works of art, drug and alcohol abuse, and violence. Synopses of the history and nature of terrorism in Europe, Asia, Latin America, the Middle East, the United States, and sub-Saharan Africa reveal that this ancient tactic is used by groups of various sizes and motivations, with varying degrees of success. Researchers, attempting to define terrorism and its causes, have classified terrorists by social psychology, geography, ideology, and tactics. The book traces the slow and troubled emergence of international law in the 20th century and the creation of international courts, the International Criminal Police Organization, and United Nations peacekeeping forces. These efforts have received limited support; political dissent and nationalism have disrupted their progress. A survey of trends in correctional policies throughout the world considers prison populations, maltreatment of prisoners, capital punishment, decriminalization, and deinstitutionalization. A historical review of theories of war and attempts to restrict the arms trade provides background for discussions of military expenditures in developed countries and the United Nations' role in arms control. The final chapters address new international approaches to preventing and treating juvenile delinquency and evaluate traditional perspectives on preventing crime and terrorism. References, tables, and an index are included.