Global Criminology Midterm Review

• Midterm Review Sheet for Global Criminology in Spring 2025

Test Structure

• The midterm includes 4 short answer questions and 1 essay question
• Short answer questions are from the review sheet, length does not matter
• The essay question requires a longer response - around 3 paragraphs
• The essay should factually based, analytical, and reference book discussions

Possible Short Answer Questions

Global Crime

• It can be transnational, international, or local with international dimensions
• Includes human trafficking, terrorism, war crimes, and drug trade

Transnational Crime

• Spans national borders
• Violates the laws of more than one country

International Crime

• Proscribed by international law
• Contrary to the interests of humankind

Local Crime with International Dimensions

• Toxic waste impacts humankind through global warming
• Money laundering contributes to financial instability of nations

Difficulty Estimating Global Crime

• Many crimes go undiscovered/unreported ("dark figure" of crime)
• Crime is not universally defined

Globalization

• Involves decreasing importance of national boundaries
• Increases interdependence of the global economy
• Began with the fall of the Berlin Wall and the end of the Cold War

Globalization and Global Crime

• The decreased cost of global business, communication, and transportation has led to increased profitability
• Also increased interconnection between crime groups

Goods Trafficked

• Consumer goods, weapons, antiques & art, natural resources
• Primarily trafficked in the interest of illegal financial gain

Human Trafficking vs. Migrant Smuggling

• Migrant Smuggling: Voluntary, crosses borders
• Human Trafficking: Transported by force, often occurs within countries

Common Forms of Human Trafficking

• Sexual exploitation (79%)
• Forced labor trafficking
• Forced marriage
• Organ removal

Bonded Labor

• People are often told they owe a large debt that is nearly impossible to pay
• Forced to work for little/no money
• Smugglers may initiate this after reaching the destination

Risk Factors for Organ Trafficking Victims

• Mental disabilities
• Poverty
• Being a migrant
• Homelessness
• Illiteracy
• Lack of education

Reasons Few Traffickers Are Caught

• Absence of human trafficking laws
• Political/law enforcement corruption
• Lack of victim cooperation

Border Tightening and Human Trafficking

• There is no evidence that tightening borders is effective
• Border patrol may be corrupt
• If entering countries is made easier, vulnerable populations may be less likely to trust perpetrators

Legalizing Prostitution

• There is varying evidence on its effect on trafficking
• It potentially creates larger demand because the purchase of sex is normalized

Sending Trafficking Victims Home

• Victims should not be sent home
• Many are shunned by their family/community
• They face risk of being re-trafficked

Mission of the IMF

• Ensure the stability of the international monetary system

Mission of the World Bank

• Reduce poverty through conditional loans and technical assistance

IMF and World Bank Policies

• Promote privatization, currency liberation, high interest rates, increased exports, market-determined prices, and austerity reforms

Consequences of IMF/WB Policies

• Privatization: Increased inequality and poverty
• Currency Liberation: Loss of savings
• High Interest Rates: Reduced access to credit
• Increased Exports: Loss of cheap goods
• Market-Determined Prices: Inability of citizens to get goods/services
• Austerity Reforms: Loss of support for the most vulnerable

Terrorism

• Acts of violence that are not socially accepted/lawful
• Generally with political or religious motives

Difficulty Defining Terrorism

• Motivation of an attack can be difficult to determine
• Perception depends on one's political context

"One Man's Terrorist"

• Refers to the importance of political context in determining if an act is terrorism
• The U.S. sees 9/11 as a terrorist attack, while Al Qaeda sees it as freedom fighting

Domestic Non-Islamic Terrorism Examples

• KKK
• Unabomber

Foreign Non-Islamic Terrorism Examples

• Irish Republican Army
• Tamil Tigers
• ETA (Spain)

Terrorist Violence vs. Legitimate Combatants

• Terrorist organizations are clandestine/inconspicuous and intentionally attack civilians
• Legitimate combatants have legal right to defend their citizens

Terrorists Affiliated with Governments

• Terrorist groups are typically not associated with governments
• However, some governments provide support to terrorist organizations
• Some terrorist groups conduct legitimate politics and social work

"One Islam"

• There isn't one Islam because it is the second largest religion consisting of many denominations with high levels of violence between them

Main Branches of Islam

• The main branches are Sunni and Shiite
• Early differences concerned beliefs about succession, rather than ideology
• Eventually differences grew into religious practice
• Shiite people are often marginalized and excluded from government

Main Characteristics of the Cold War

• Tension between Soviets and West (particularly U.S.)
• Struggle between democracy and communism
• Led to an arms race
• Western victory led to greater spread of Western influence

Formation of Israel

• The formation of Israel displaced many Palestinians and Arab Muslims
• Increased tension between U.S. and Middle East as U.S. supported Israel
• Proved that the implementation of a religious state was feasible

Islamic Teaching and Violence

• Islamic teaching does not call for violence against non-believers
• Interpretation of Islam that is driven by politics mobilizes violence

Colonialism & Terrorism

• Colonialism: Practice of occupying another country and exploiting it economically
• The Middle East and North Africa was colonized by western Europe
• Fueled further by U.S. promotion of economic and political interests through interference in the region

U.S. Involvement in the Middle East

• Iran: CIA-assisted coup overthrows government of Mosaddeq, autocratic Shah allied with U.S.
• Iraq: U.S. supported Hussein in Iran-Iraq wars, then went against it when Hussein invaded
• Iraq: Invaded in 2003, has since been unable to recover

Boko Haram

• A Nigerian terrorist organization
• The goal is to remove Western influence and establish Islamic state under Sharia law
• Kidnapping is the most common act

Al Qaeda

• Led by Sunni jihadists
• Goal is to create an Islamic state and kill all infidels
• Advances goals primarily through the bombing of symbolic buildings

ISIS

• Islamic State of Iraq and Syria
• The goal is to establish global caliphate and Islamic state, as well as "purifying" Islam
• Advances goals through bombing, murder, and recruiting vulnerable populations

Differences between Al Qaeda and ISIS

• Al Qaeda targets the West, while ISIS targets both the West and Muslim countries
• Al Qaeda has the eventual goal of establishing a global caliphate, but ISIS wants a caliphate now
• Al Qaeda is more strict in its recruiting

ISIS Followers and the Apocalypse

• ISIS followers anticipate the emergence of a global caliphate
• They believe destabilizing the existing world order is necessary to hasten this apocalypse

ISIS Followers and Caliphate/Territory

• ISIS followers believe in establishing a global Islamic caliphate, governed by their extremist interpretation of Sharia law
• They view territorial expansion as a means to achieve this goal
• Acts of terrorism and violence are driven by a belief that they must seize and hold territory to establish and maintain their vision of the caliphate