The Pill vs. the Sword: Additional Considerations Comment on “The Pill Is Mightier Than the Sword”

In this paper, I present additional information for policy-makers and researchers to consider in response to the view proposed by Potts et al that “the pill is mightier than the sword.” I identify states with both high rates of terrorism and a youth bulge and discuss correlates of both these societal characteristics. The research examined supports the view that factors other than access to family planning are more important in facilitating terrorism

The Pill vs. the Sword: Additional Considerations; Comment on “The Pill Is Mightier Than the Sword”

In this paper, I present additional information for policy-makers and researchers to consider in response to the view proposed by Potts et al that “the pill is mightier than the sword.” I identify states with both high rates of terrorism and a youth bulge and discuss correlates of both these societal characteristics. The research examined supports the view that factors other than access to family planning are more important in facilitating terrorism

Comparing the Lifestyles of Victims, Offenders, and Victim-Offenders: A Routine Activity Theory Assessment of Similarities and Differences for Criminal Incident Participants

Drawing on routine activity theory, this paper examines a sample of college students involved in criminal assault to assess whether victims, offenders, and those who are both victims and offenders show similarities on demographic, social activity, neighborhood, exposure, illegal activities, and alcohol and drug use variables. This research tests previous claims that criminal victims and offenders have numerous shared characteristics and behaviors. For all three groups a wide range of sophisticated measures of lifestyle are used to predict the likelihood of involvement in criminal incidents of assault. Victimization risks are primarily explained by indicators of individuals’ exposure to offenders. Likelihood of offending is most usefully explained by demographics and participation in other illegal behaviors. Being both a victim and offender of assault is explained by a more complex set of indicators, encompassing a wide range of factors. Based on these results it appears that, for the crime of assault, victims, offenders, and victim-offenders are three distinct groups, identifiable by varying lifestyle measures. Results provide moderate support for routine activity theory and strongly support the need for refined measures of lifestyle when assessing criminal incident involvement. © Taylor & Francis Group, LLC