Assessing the Attractiveness and Vulnerability of Eco-Terrorism Targets: A Situational Crime Prevention Approach

This study assesses the vulnerability and attractiveness of eco-terrorism targets in the United States based on a Situational Crime Prevention approach. Data from the American Terrorism Study are extracted for eight different attributes of terrorism targets, including exposed, vital, iconic, legitimate, destructible, occupied, near, and easy. Descriptive findings generally support expectations that eco-terrorists select targets based on their vulnerability and attractiveness. The study concludes with several implications for homeland security policy and a call for further exploration into new and alternative operationalizations of eco-terrorism target attributes.