Kidnapping and Violence

This book analyzes kidnapping in three general ways. First, kidnapping, including the threat of kidnapping, reflects a breakdown in the mechanisms of social control in society. At the level of interpersonal relations, the weakening of social control processes allows kidnappers to function in different situations and for diverse motives. This book addresses such questions as: What are the conditions under which kidnappers can evade social control by abducting or threatening to abduct another person? What factors trigger the response of social control mechanisms to kidnappers or attempted kidnappers? How effective are the institutional responses to abductions. Second, governments and para-military and terrorist groups also employ kidnappings as part of their foreign and domestic policy. This analysis evaluates why and under what conditions governments, para-military and terrorist groups decide to abduct individuals and groups. Emphasis is on how individuals, groups, and governments employ abductions to achieve their social, cultural, religious, and political objectives. Third, certain cultural traditions foster abductions. This analysis examines how cultural traditions in different societies emerge to foster behaviors such as bride abductions. Moreover, this book addresses the extent to which social chamge modifies these cultural patterns.