Perpetrator witnessing: Testing the norms and forms of witnessing through livestreaming terror attacks

This article studies perpetrator livestreams as an emerging witnessing genre in today’s digital media circuit. Perpetrator livestreams challenge the norms of witnessing by undermining the ethos traditionally associated with testimonies. They also challenge the forms of witnessing by being integral to the attacks and disseminated across media. Combining scholarship on witnessing and liveness, this article proposes a conceptual framework for understanding perpetrator livestreaming as a witnessing genre, which falls into the three phases pre-mediation, mediation, and re-mediation. Moreover, a prominent example of perpetrator witnessing is analyzed: the livestreaming of the terror attack on two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, in 2019.

Quantifying the Cost of Drone-Related Threats in New Zealand

This article provides initial estimates of the most significant threats from drones in New Zealand. An economic approach is adopted with risks expressed as an expected annual cost, which is consistent with the adoption of a cost-benefit frame-work for policy development. It will be demonstrated that the expected annual cost of drone misuse are greater than that of a mass shooting, with the risks in the prison system alone exceeding the expected cost of a mass shooting. The expected annual cost of a terror attack exceeds that of the risks to the aviation industry. However current government proposals for registration of drones and licensing of pilots will do little to address the potential threats, which generally – though not exclusively – arise from individuals who have no intention of complying with the law. Indeed, it seems unlikely that the Ministry of Transport’s proposed policies will be effective in countering the most significant threats – those policies are likely to cost more than the risk that they might avert. Consequently there is a need to develop a strategy for countering the misuse of drones by those engaged in illegal activities.

Introduction

The introduction contextualizes the time, place, and setting in which the study takes place. Pilgrimage in Norway is resurging in a nation shaken by a right-wing terror attack and thus renegotiating ideas of nation, community, citizenship, and political theology. It contextualizes the pilgrimage in postwar Europe and the redevelopment of cultural heritage within the context of the European Union and projects of nation-building. The chapter further introduces the methodological concerns informing the study, and main themes to be taken up. The chapter concludes with an overview over the chapters.

Exploring Sociopolitical and Religious Meanings from a BBC News on a Terror Attack: A Functional Linguistic Analysis.

This study is a functional grammatical analysis of BBC news on a New York attack where eight were killed by a man driving a truck by the application of Halliday’s Systematic Functional Grammar (SFG). By analysing the systems of grammar at the clause level, I show that the text at the discourse level makes different meaning across the news. Sayfullo Saipov, an immigrant who came to the US in 2010, has developed negative actions such as killing eight people, hurting 11, aiming at innocents, striking cyclists, hitting a school bus, injuring adults and children, and in all of his actions eventually “the innocent” are affected as a goal. Another significant goal i.e. “note” was found which shows his cohesion with the so-called Islamic States. Nevertheless, they are using the name of “Islam” but they don’t know or they don’t follow the script of Islam or at least the basics of Islam, it proven by the killer are all actions because according to The Holy Quran” killing a single innocent is even strongly prohibited in Islam, it is like killing the whole humanity. Identifying and attributing processes have identified here “The attack” as a “terrible” incident which is done by the attacker and attributing processes ascribe “bad qualities” of carriers (the attacker). The Killer is the highest number of “Actor” in terms of the transitivity process, which means he is in a “destructive power”. The police are the second-highest “actor” who performs some physical actions such as shooting the driver, arresting the driver, taking the attacker to hospital. The situation was going to get ugly by the killer’s actions and for this reason; the police accomplish these professional actions to make meaning of “safety of innocent”. The killer is a “single” person but his negative actions convulsed the whole city even whole country, and all big names like President, City mayor, police commissioner immediately were made get involved into “verbal actions” interfering, and reacting, saying, commenting etc. Thus the study frets out some significant meaning through grammar choices in the news genre in question.

Medical Coordination Rescue Members’ and Ambulance Nurses’ Perspectives on a New Model for Mass Casualty and Disaster Management and a Novel Terror Attack Mitigation Approach in the Netherlands: A Qualitative Study

Introduction: Mass-casualty incidents (MCIs), specifically incidents with chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear agents (CBRN) or terrorist attacks, challenge medical coordination, rescue, availability, and adequate provision of prehospital and hospital-based emergency care. In the Netherlands, a new model for Mass Casualty and Disaster Management (MCDM) along with a Terror Attack Mitigation Approach (TAMA) was introduced in 2016. Study Objective: The objective of this study was to provide insight in the first experiences of health policy advisors and managers with a medical rescue coordinator and ambulance nursing background regarding the new MCDM and TAMA in order to identify strengths and pitfalls in emergency preparedness and to provide recommendations for improvement. Methods: The study had a qualitative design and was performed from January 2017 through June 2018. Purposeful sampling was used and the inclusion comprehended health policy advisors and managers with a medical rescue coordinator and ambulance nursing background involved in emergency preparedness. The respondents were interviewed semi-structured and the researchers used a topic list that was based on the literature and content of the newly introduced model and approach. All interviews were typed out verbatim and qualitative content analyzing was used in order to identify relevant themes. Results: Respondents based their perceptions on large-scale training exercises, as MCDM and TAMA were not yet used during MCIs. Perceived issues of MCDM were the two-tiered triage system, the change in focus from “stay and play” towards “scoop and run,” difficulties with new tasks and roles of professionals, and improvement in material provision. Regarding TAMA, all respondents supported the principles (do the most for the most; scoop and run; acceptable personal risk; never walk alone; and standard operational procedure); however, the definitions were lacking clarity while the awareness of optimal personal safety of professionals was absent. As there are currently regional differences in the level of implementation of MCDM and TAMA, this may pose a risk for an optimal inter-regional collaboration. Conclusion: The conclusions refer to experiences of professionals in the Netherlands. Elements of the MCDM and TAMA were highly appreciated and seemed to improve emergency preparedness, while other aspects needed further attention, training, and integration in daily routine. The Netherlands’ MCDM model and TAMA will need continuous systematic evaluation based on (inter)national performance criteria in order to underpin the useful and effective elements and to improve the observed pitfalls in emergency preparedness.

Design and Fabrication of Safety Impact Guard

Death due to Accidents are greater than natural disaster and terror attack in India. One of the most injurious cases is the crash between car and heavy vehicle. Every year lacks of passengers are killed due to road accidents in which 8% are due to heavy vehicles. Road accident causes loss of life and also property. Accidents can not be avoided completely but the impact force is decreased by application of Design and Fabrication of safety impact guard. Safety impact guard is protecting device used to reduce collision impact at rear end of heavy vehicle when accident occurs.

A qualitative evaluation of Southwark Council’s public health response to mitigating the mental health impact of the 2017 London bridge and borough market terror attack

Background Over recent years there have been several major terror attacks in cities across Europe. These attacks result in deaths, physical injuries, and pose long-term threats to mental health and wellbeing of large populations. Although psychologists have completed important work on mental health responses to disaster exposure including terrorist attacks, the mental health impacts of such attacks have been comparatively less examined in academic literature than the acute health response to physical injuries. This paper reflects on Southwark Council’s pioneering public mental health response to the June 2017 terror attack at London Bridge and Borough Market. It aims to explore perceptions of the mental health impact of the incident by those living and working in the borough. Methods A rapid qualitative evaluation informed by the logic underpinning Southwark Council’s response was conducted. Seven formative interviews were undertaken with individuals involved in the response planning and/or delivery, enabling the evaluation team to establish the response’s theoretical basis. Subsequently, nineteen semi-structured interviews with consenting Council employees, residents, business owners, and workers from the Borough were conducted to understand perceived mental health impacts of the attack and the success of the Council response. Thematic analysis of transcribed interviews was undertaken to evaluate the extent to which the response was implemented successfully. Results Participants reported feeling the attack had a wide-reaching negative impact on the mental health of residents, those working in the borough and visitors who witnessed the attack. Delivering the response was a challenge and response visibility within the community was limited. Participants suggested a comprehensive systematic approach to health needs assessment informed by knowledge and relationships of key Council workers and community stakeholders is imperative when responding to terrorist incidents. Improved communication and working relationships between statutory organisations and community stakeholders would ensure community groups are better supported. Prioritising mental health needs of terror attack responders to mitigate persisting negative impacts was highlighted. Conclusions This article highlights a potential public health approach and need for developing robust practical guidance in the aftermath of terror attacks. This approach has already influenced the response to the Christchurch mosque shooting in 2019.

Mental health impact among hospital staff in the aftermath of the Nice 2016 terror attack: the ECHOS de Nice study

Background The Nice terror attack of July 14, 2016 resulted in 84 deaths and 434 injured, with many hospital staff exposed to the attack, either as bystanders on site at the time of the attack (‘bystander exposure’) who may or may not have provided care to attack victims subsequently, or as care providers to victims only (‘professional exposure only’). The objective of this study is to describe the impact on mental health among hospital staff by category of exposure with a particular focus on those with ‘professional exposure only’, and to assess their use of psychological support resources. Method An observational, cross-sectional, multicenter study conducted from 06/20/2017 to 10/31/2017 among all staff of two healthcare institutions in Nice, using a web questionnaire. Collected data included social, demographic and professional characteristics; trauma exposure category (‘bystanders to the attack’; ‘professional exposure only’; ‘unexposed’); indicators of psychological impact (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale); PTSD (PCL-5) level; support sought. Responders could enter open comments in each section of the questionnaire, which were processed by inductive analysis. Results 804 staff members’ questionnaires were analysed. Among responding staff, 488 were exposed (61%): 203 were ‘bystanders to the attack’, 285 had ‘professional exposure only’. The staff with ‘professional exposure only’ reported anxiety (13.2%), depression (4.6%), suicidal thoughts (5.5%); rates of full PTSD was 9.4% and of partial PTSD, 17.7%. Multivariate analysis in the ‘professional exposure only’ category showed that the following characteristics were associated with full or partial PTSD: female gender (OR = 2.79; 95% CI = 1.19–6.56, p = 0.019); social isolation (OR = 3.80; 95% CI = 1.30–11.16, p = 0.015); having been confronted with an unfamiliar task (OR = 3.04; 95% CI = 1.18–7.85; p = 0.022). Lastly, 70.6% of the staff with ‘professional exposure only’ with full PTSD did not seek psychological support. Conclusion Despite a significant impact on mental health, few staff with ‘professional exposure only’ sought psychological support. Robust prevention and follow-up programs must be developed for hospital staff, in order to manage the health hazards they face when exposed to exceptional health-related events such as mass terror attacks. Study registration Ethical approval for the trial was obtained from the National Ethics Committee for Human Research (RCBID N° 2017-A00812–51).