Economic profiling of the lone wolf terrorist: can economics provide behavioral investigative advice?

Article

Phillips, Peter J. and Pohl, Gabriela. 2012. "Economic profiling of the lone wolf terrorist: can economics provide behavioral investigative advice?" Journal of Applied Security Research. 7 (2), pp. 151-177. https://doi.org/10.1080/19361610.2012.656250
Article Title

Economic profiling of the lone wolf terrorist: can economics provide behavioral investigative advice?

ERA Journal ID20487
Article CategoryArticle
AuthorsPhillips, Peter J. (Author) and Pohl, Gabriela (Author)
Journal TitleJournal of Applied Security Research
Journal Citation7 (2), pp. 151-177
Number of Pages27
Year2012
PublisherTaylor & Francis
Place of PublicationLondon, United Kingdom
ISSN1936-1610
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.1080/19361610.2012.656250
Abstract

Economics has long had a theory of 'crime and punishment.' This theory provides predictions about the effects of law enforcement activity on criminals' actions but can it provide investigative advice? This paper extends the theoretical framework by identifying the possibility of 'economic profiling' of criminals and terrorists. Investigative psychologists attempt to derive the characteristics of offenders from the characteristics of the crime to develop an offender profile. The assignment of individuals to a 'class' involves the application of a classification scheme or typology. If the characteristics of a crime can be assigned to a particular type, the offender will have certain characteristics. This may assist law enforcement in identifying and finding the offender. A logical extension of the expected utility analysis of crime and terrorist behavior is the development of a methodology of economic profiling based upon an economic-behavioral typology of criminal and terrorist behavior. It is the purpose of this paper to provide some first steps in the development of such a framework. These first steps are cast in the context of an investigative economist seeking to develop an economic profile of a lone wolf terrorist.

Keywordseconomics; crime; terrorists; profiling; offenders; investigative psychology; expected utility; criminal behaviour; terrorist behaviour; typology; investigative economist; economic profile; lone wolf terrorist
ANZSRC Field of Research 2020380199. Applied economics not elsewhere classified
380304. Microeconomic theory
520103. Forensic psychology
Public Notes

File reproduced in accordance with the copyright policy of the publisher/author.

Byline AffiliationsSchool of Accounting, Economics and Finance
School of Humanities and Communication
Institution of OriginUniversity of Southern Queensland
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