Erika Brady | Canterbury Christ Church University (original) (raw)
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Papers by Erika Brady
The UK’s Counter-Terrorism strategy, known as CONTEST, is recognized as one of the most successfu... more The UK’s Counter-Terrorism strategy, known as CONTEST, is recognized as one of the most successful soft-focus strategies in the world, with an intended emphasis on community support and what have become known as ‘Prevent’ (or counter-extremism) measures. In all, there are four limbs to CONTEST: PREVENT, PROTECT, PURSUE and PREPARE. While there is much crossover between these areas, for example policing activities take place in all four limbs, each one has a specific focus with its own intrinsic goals. This article intends to provide an overview of CONTEST, and to explore the challenges of evaluating counter-terrorism strategies in general. In doing so, I intend to show that while robust and independent evaluation of CONTEST has not been undertaken from a quantitative approach, some level of evaluation has taken place and can be taken into consideration when moving forward with future analysis of the strategy...
Journal of Terrorism Research, Feb 10, 2017
Critical Studies on Terrorism
Daniel Alati provides an analysis of the legal, political and cultural perspectives and settings ... more Daniel Alati provides an analysis of the legal, political and cultural perspectives and settings of both Canada and the UK in respect to counterterrorism legislation. Based on research conducted fo...
Journal of Terrorism Research, 2017
Contemporary Voices: St Andrews Journal of International Relations
CREST Report, 2021
Research and practice on the gender dimensions of efforts to prevent and counter violent extremis... more Research and practice on the gender dimensions of efforts to prevent and counter violent extremism (P/CVE) are limited. Comparatively little P/CVE work takes account of women’s experiences and needs, and most programmes are designed with men in mind. However, there is a growing recognition of the need to take account of the gender dynamics of violent extremism, including in relation to preventative work. Programmes are beginning to be designed for women and research is starting to more systematically examine how to understand the gender dynamics implicated in violent extremism and efforts to respond to it.
This report reviews research on P/CVE interventions that explicitly focus on women. It is organised by the three tiers of intervention commonly used to describe P/CVE work: primary interventions which work at the community level to prevent involvement in extremism; secondary interventions that engage with those identified as being at risk of involvement; and tertiary interventions designed for those convicted of terrorism offences or believed to be directly engaged in violent extremism. It identifies key learning by looking at a series of international case studies and reflects on the next steps for this research agenda.
This is an article which was published in the November/December issue of Security and Safety Inte... more This is an article which was published in the November/December issue of Security and Safety International magazine. Unfortunately, I could not extract the article from the magazine, and so I have included the link to the entire issue below. My article is on page 18.
"One of the dominant concerns of the international community today is the challenge posed by the organisation known as ISIS. A self-proclaimed state with territory and a government, it has also become one of the most dangerous terrorist organisations in the world. Yet, with the imminent collapse of its state in Syria and Iraq, the future of the organisation is unclear. Regardless of its military defeat in the Middle East, the collapse of the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq will not result in the demise of the group, but rather its ideological and logistical reach will continue to pose a challenge to security forces across Europe."
Journal of Terrorism Research/Contemporary Voices , 2017
This paper set out to explore whether the Syrian Conflict has impacted security issues outside it... more This paper set out to explore whether the Syrian Conflict has impacted security issues outside its borders, in particular in Europe. With a wide range of challenges related to the conflict, now in its sixth year, issues such as the rise of ISIS and the refugee crisis in Europe have been linked to political destabilization on the continent and within the EU. By looking at data presented by the Global Terrorism Database and the United Nations Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHCR), this study set out to observe any patterns in Islamic terrorist activity and numbers of refugees in Europe during the period 2006 to 2015. Academic reports based on empirical studies as well as media reports were also analyzed to further the research and allow for in-depth assessment of the issue as a whole.
PhD Thesis by Erika Brady
Thesis, 2021
Counter-Terrorism strategies are an essential and controversial element of national security tool... more Counter-Terrorism strategies are an essential and controversial element of national security tool kits. Essential, because the threat from terrorism is ongoing and requires a robust and proportionate response through the criminal justice system. Controversial, because so little is understood about the impact and effectiveness of these strategies. In particular, Counter-Radicalisation strategies receive push back from communities, the media and civil society. The UK is an interesting case to explore as its Counter-Terrorism strategy, CONTEST, has been in place since 2003 and has gone through several iterations over the years. Using primarily open access data, this thesis explores the performance of CONTEST in a multi-dimensional way. By first exploring data, statistics and perspectives through interviews, document analysis and public opinion polls, a robust and multi-faceted understanding of the terrorism threat landscape and the response to this threat is analysed. The second phase of the project builds on these findings to populate a thematically structured scoring model. The ALTPEG model which is developed explores themes which arose in the first phase of the project, specifically Assessment, Learning, Transparency, Perspectives, Events and Goals. With the ability to measure CONTEST’s performance by workstream (Prevent, Pursue, Protect and Prepare), by thematic category or by nuanced sub-question, a range of analysis can be undertaken to better understand what might or might not be working appropriately. A further level of analysis is carried out through the Traffic Light System, to assess which aspects of CONTEST need more attention for future improvement. This model is the first of its kind and is designed to provoke debate and provide a platform on which scholars and researchers can develop our understanding of the impact of the Counter-Terrorism strategies globally. Ultimately, the research finds that CONTEST is achieving the goals the UK Government has established, although workstreams such as Prevent, and to some extent Protect, are more problematic.
The UK’s Counter-Terrorism strategy, known as CONTEST, is recognized as one of the most successfu... more The UK’s Counter-Terrorism strategy, known as CONTEST, is recognized as one of the most successful soft-focus strategies in the world, with an intended emphasis on community support and what have become known as ‘Prevent’ (or counter-extremism) measures. In all, there are four limbs to CONTEST: PREVENT, PROTECT, PURSUE and PREPARE. While there is much crossover between these areas, for example policing activities take place in all four limbs, each one has a specific focus with its own intrinsic goals. This article intends to provide an overview of CONTEST, and to explore the challenges of evaluating counter-terrorism strategies in general. In doing so, I intend to show that while robust and independent evaluation of CONTEST has not been undertaken from a quantitative approach, some level of evaluation has taken place and can be taken into consideration when moving forward with future analysis of the strategy...
Journal of Terrorism Research, Feb 10, 2017
Critical Studies on Terrorism
Daniel Alati provides an analysis of the legal, political and cultural perspectives and settings ... more Daniel Alati provides an analysis of the legal, political and cultural perspectives and settings of both Canada and the UK in respect to counterterrorism legislation. Based on research conducted fo...
Journal of Terrorism Research, 2017
Contemporary Voices: St Andrews Journal of International Relations
CREST Report, 2021
Research and practice on the gender dimensions of efforts to prevent and counter violent extremis... more Research and practice on the gender dimensions of efforts to prevent and counter violent extremism (P/CVE) are limited. Comparatively little P/CVE work takes account of women’s experiences and needs, and most programmes are designed with men in mind. However, there is a growing recognition of the need to take account of the gender dynamics of violent extremism, including in relation to preventative work. Programmes are beginning to be designed for women and research is starting to more systematically examine how to understand the gender dynamics implicated in violent extremism and efforts to respond to it.
This report reviews research on P/CVE interventions that explicitly focus on women. It is organised by the three tiers of intervention commonly used to describe P/CVE work: primary interventions which work at the community level to prevent involvement in extremism; secondary interventions that engage with those identified as being at risk of involvement; and tertiary interventions designed for those convicted of terrorism offences or believed to be directly engaged in violent extremism. It identifies key learning by looking at a series of international case studies and reflects on the next steps for this research agenda.
This is an article which was published in the November/December issue of Security and Safety Inte... more This is an article which was published in the November/December issue of Security and Safety International magazine. Unfortunately, I could not extract the article from the magazine, and so I have included the link to the entire issue below. My article is on page 18.
"One of the dominant concerns of the international community today is the challenge posed by the organisation known as ISIS. A self-proclaimed state with territory and a government, it has also become one of the most dangerous terrorist organisations in the world. Yet, with the imminent collapse of its state in Syria and Iraq, the future of the organisation is unclear. Regardless of its military defeat in the Middle East, the collapse of the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq will not result in the demise of the group, but rather its ideological and logistical reach will continue to pose a challenge to security forces across Europe."
Journal of Terrorism Research/Contemporary Voices , 2017
This paper set out to explore whether the Syrian Conflict has impacted security issues outside it... more This paper set out to explore whether the Syrian Conflict has impacted security issues outside its borders, in particular in Europe. With a wide range of challenges related to the conflict, now in its sixth year, issues such as the rise of ISIS and the refugee crisis in Europe have been linked to political destabilization on the continent and within the EU. By looking at data presented by the Global Terrorism Database and the United Nations Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHCR), this study set out to observe any patterns in Islamic terrorist activity and numbers of refugees in Europe during the period 2006 to 2015. Academic reports based on empirical studies as well as media reports were also analyzed to further the research and allow for in-depth assessment of the issue as a whole.
Thesis, 2021
Counter-Terrorism strategies are an essential and controversial element of national security tool... more Counter-Terrorism strategies are an essential and controversial element of national security tool kits. Essential, because the threat from terrorism is ongoing and requires a robust and proportionate response through the criminal justice system. Controversial, because so little is understood about the impact and effectiveness of these strategies. In particular, Counter-Radicalisation strategies receive push back from communities, the media and civil society. The UK is an interesting case to explore as its Counter-Terrorism strategy, CONTEST, has been in place since 2003 and has gone through several iterations over the years. Using primarily open access data, this thesis explores the performance of CONTEST in a multi-dimensional way. By first exploring data, statistics and perspectives through interviews, document analysis and public opinion polls, a robust and multi-faceted understanding of the terrorism threat landscape and the response to this threat is analysed. The second phase of the project builds on these findings to populate a thematically structured scoring model. The ALTPEG model which is developed explores themes which arose in the first phase of the project, specifically Assessment, Learning, Transparency, Perspectives, Events and Goals. With the ability to measure CONTEST’s performance by workstream (Prevent, Pursue, Protect and Prepare), by thematic category or by nuanced sub-question, a range of analysis can be undertaken to better understand what might or might not be working appropriately. A further level of analysis is carried out through the Traffic Light System, to assess which aspects of CONTEST need more attention for future improvement. This model is the first of its kind and is designed to provoke debate and provide a platform on which scholars and researchers can develop our understanding of the impact of the Counter-Terrorism strategies globally. Ultimately, the research finds that CONTEST is achieving the goals the UK Government has established, although workstreams such as Prevent, and to some extent Protect, are more problematic.