Kristian Krieger

Mediating the social and psychological impacts of terrorist attacks: The role of risk perception and risk communication

The publics understanding of chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) related issues and their likely actions following a CBRN incident is an issue of great concern, as public psychological and behavioural responses will help determine subsequent morbidity and mortality rates. This paper explores the role of effective government communication with the public and its role in mediating the social and psychological impact of terrorist attacks. We examine the importance of effective communication in reducing morbidity and mortality in the event of a terrorist attack and explore the impact of risk perceptions in determining the success or failure of risk communication strategies. This includes the examination of the role of fear as a health risk, and the identification of factors relevant to public trust in risk communication. Finally, an investigation of the type of information desired by members of the public leads the authors to make risk communication recommendations targeted at the promotion of more adaptive behaviours in response to CBRN attacks

Understanding public responses to chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear incidents - Driving factors, emerging themes and research gaps

This paper discusses the management of public responses to incidents involving chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear materials (CBRN). Given the extraordinary technical and operational challenges of a response to a CBRN release including, but not limited to, hazard detection and identification, casualty decontamination and multi-agency co-ordination, it is not surprising that public psychological and behavioural responses to such incidents have received limited attention by scholars and practitioners alike. As a result, a lack of understanding about the role of the public in effective emergency response constitutes a major gap in research and practice. This limitation must be addressed as a CBRN release has the potential to have wide-reaching psychological and behavioural impacts which, in turn, impact upon public morbidity and mortality rates. This paper addresses a number of key issues: why public responses matter; how responses have been conceptualised by practitioners; what factors have been identified as influencing public responses to a CBRN release and similar extreme events, and what further analysis is needed in order to generate a better understanding of public responses to inform the management of public responses to a CBRN release.

Towards democratic governance of uncertainty? Contesting notions of participation, control and accountability

Managing risk in international society has posed a new challenge not only to states and international organisations, but also to experts, scientists and citizens. It has generated a demand for new sets of laws, regulations, instruments and governing bodies to tackle various risks such as natural disasters, economic and financial crises, and unintended consequences of policy reforms. Accordingly, new modes of interactions between states, experts and citizens seem to be emerging across countries and in different high-risk sectors. Little research has been done to illuminate interactive and dynamic aspects of emerging governance and regulatory arrangements and their impact on participation, control and accountability in liberal democracies. This special issue has assembled research papers and commentaries from practitioners and academics which critically examine these themes and explore what future research on the ‘world risk society’ could offer to political science and beyond.

Green partnerships in Britain's energy sector – classifying non-governmental organisations and exploring their varying potential to co-operate with energy companies

Why do some non-governmental organisations (NGOs) use partnerships with the corporate sector as a tool to achieve their environmental objectives whilst others do not? The potential of NGOs to enter into partnerships depends on their organisational resources and structures, their values, ideas and attitudes. This hypothesis is explored in the case of Britains NGOs and their potential for engagement with the energy industry. Empirical data on the characteristics of NGOs and their attitudes towards partnerships and existing engagement with business were collected through a questionnaire-based survey and semi-structured interviews. Three clusters of NGOs were identified and linked to different patterns of engagement. The findings are relevant for critically reviewing claims that NGO-business-partnerships offer effective solutions to environmental problems, have the potential to substitute for governmental regulation and may contribute to accomplishing a more sustainable society.

Promoting Public Resilience against Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Terrorism

Abstracts: Responding to the threats from terrorism has traditionally revolved around the notions of prevention and security. Responses therefore often target potential perpetrators, make extensive use of technology (e.g., surveillance), and are dominated by law enforcement and military activities. The prevention of numerous terror attacks vindicates the repeated focus on prevention and security. However, successful attacks, such as those with sarin on Tokyos subway (1995), the bombing of the World Trade Center in New York (2011), and the train bombs in Madrid (2004) and on Londons transport system (2005) suggest that counterterrorism policy needs to include measures that improve the resilience of societies and communities in order to enable them to respond and adapt in the instances where preventative measures fail to stop an attack. Resilience refers to the ability of individuals and communities to cope with and adapt to major perturbations, as well as to “bounce back” ( Adger, 2000 ; Masten and Osofsky, 2010 ; Poortinga, 2012 ) after experiencing an extreme event. The broadening of counterterrorism activities to include policies and activities targeted at promoting a resilient society against terrorist attacks has substantial research and policy implications. Most fundamentally, it recalibrates the attention of authorities from the perpetrators, law enforcement, and the development of technology onto behavior of members of the public and the activities of emergency response authorities.