Abstract In 2008 the highest number of attacks recorded against ships in the world was reported to have taken place off the coast of Africa. These attacks were carried out at greater distances from land, along the east coast of Africa, than ever before. In this article the extent of piracy and armed robbery against ships in the African context and underlying causes of piracy and armed robbery against ships off the coast of East Africa will be presented. The objective is to analyse incidents and the land and sea based causes in East Africa to account for the shift in strategy from attacking ships in territorial waters to attacking ships on the high seas. A secondary aim is to determine, in view of the shifting background to the attacks, the responsibilities of navies and other role players in the process of countering such attacks. The article suggests that states need to review national legislation related to maritime security and that all state role players in the maritime domain need to cooperate more efficiently.

The subject that was investigated was the reactions that children, in middle childhood, experienced after being involved in an armed robbery. There were three reasons for choosing this topic, the primary one being that the researcher has come across very little research around this topic. Another reason was that it fits within the social work context, as social workers are interested in early intervention and prevention methods. Lastly, the researcher, who is a social worker and works with children, wishes to be able to offer her clients the best service available, to aid them through the trauma of an armed robbery. The problem that was identified can therefore be seen as the lack of knowledge on how children react after being involved in an armed robbery. The goal of the research was to explore the reactions of children in middle childhood who have been involved in an armed robbery. The researcher used a qualitative approach to the research study, as it was most effective in gaining the meaning that the respondents gave to the armed robbery. The data was gathered through the case study strategy and semi-structured interviews were conducted. The researcher interviewed the parents of the children involved in armed robberies where possible, otherwise she interviewed the professionals who had worked with the children. With regard to the sampling method used for the research project, the researcher used non-probability sampling as there was no set list of children who had been involved in armed robberies When looking at the available literature around the topic, it is generally agreed that the level of development that the child is at, will impact how the child reacts to trauma. Middle childhood is generally accepted to be the ages of six to twelve years, where there is a general emotional, cognitive, behavioural and physiological development. There are also a number of factors that influence how a child will respond, such as age. The literature also concluded that a traumatic experience is an occurrence that is not part of a child’s normal everyday routine and it is often unanticipated and very frightening, like the experience of an armed robbery. However, after extensive searching, the researcher found very little literature available on the specific trauma of an armed robbery. The findings of this research project showed that every child had several reactions to being involved in an armed robbery. Emotional reactions were however the most common, and these included reactions such as fearfulness, clinginess and worrying. Behavioural reactions were the next most common to occur within the respondents and included reactions such as afraid of being alone and of the dark. Physical and social reactions were not as common, but were still experienced and included reactions such as headaches and nightmares, as well as the fear of people the same race as that of the robbers. When looking at the above-mentioned reactions, it also became evident that there was a general theme of fear found in all four categories It was also discovered in the research process that the reactions that children experienced during the trauma of an armed robbery were the same as that of children who had experienced other traumas. / Dissertation (MSD (Play Therapy))--University of Pretoria, 2007. / Social Work and Criminology / MSD / unrestricted

The purpose of this study was to investigate maritime terrorism, maritime piracy and acts of armed robbery of ships and the influence of specific role-players on the issue both internationally and regionally. The study investigated established measures to regulate and combat these threats and the reasons why some areas are more affected than others. The study focused on maritime terrorism, piracy and armed robbery of ships in East and West Africa and Southeast Asia in the 21st century (1 January 2000 to 31 December 2008), specifically as these are the regions most affected by such incidents. The study aimed to establish the following: <ul> <li> Which socio-economic, and political factors in individual states influence the occurrence of maritime terrorism, piracy and acts of armed robbery of ships and could piracy and acts of armed robbery of ships be eradicated if the socio-economic and political issues in affected countries receive more attention?</li> <li> Is the eradication of maritime piracy and terrorism at all possible considering the social problems facing underdeveloped countries, the effectiveness of current international measures in combating piracy and acts of armed robbery of ships, as well as current trends in global terrorism and organised crime?</li> <li> Why are all underdeveloped countries not affected by the problem of maritime piracy?</li> <li> Is there any proof that the use of force against pirates leads to an escalation in violence?</li> <li> What forms of interaction exist between maritime pirates and terrorist groups in these areas, and will the elimination of piracy and acts of armed robbery of ships have a major effect on the continued existence of maritime terrorism?</li></ul> Both socio-economic conditions and political factors in a given country or region have an influence on the occurrence of piracy, acts of armed robbery of ships and maritime terrorism, but could be countered by other factors such as the presence of strong law enforcement agencies. The level of violence existing in a country also plays a role. As the objectives of pirates and maritime terrorists differ, very few examples of interaction between these groups exist. Both pirates and terrorists adapt to measures instituted by the international community and change their tactics and areas of operations accordingly. Copyright / Dissertation (MA)--University of Pretoria, 2012. / Political Sciences / unrestricted

This is a Nigerian study, which initially aimed to examine armed robbery culture and the youth subculture. With the employment of subcultural theory, the study became intellectually unviable in explaining the primary data. A replacement was made by seeking recourse to anomie-strain theory and control theory to explain the data. Presently, the main aim of this study is to examine the involvement of youths in armed robbery. Specifically, the study will look at armed robbery from the point of view of offenders and the factors responsible for their crime.Armed robbery is a type of robbery aided by weapon(s) to threaten, force and deprive a person or persons of the right to private, public or corporate belongings. Since the end of the Nigeria civil war (1967-1970), the offence has become a problem in the country, occurring almost on a daily basis in the urban areas more than the rural. Armed robbery can take place in residential homes, commercial places, motorways and any other place the offenders may deem necessary to operate. The current criminal climate has made it possible for armed robbers to engage in interstate criminal operations as well.Methodologically, the research is qualitative, involving semi-structured face-to-face oral interviews (open-ended) with 20 armed robbers in prison custody in Nigeria. There is also an unstructured interview with 4 members of the criminal justice system in Nigeria. The analytical framework employed is interpretive phenomenology, to capture the holistic worldview of the offender sample. Secondary data comes from both the Nigeria Police Force and the Nigeria Prison Service records.Findings are presented under four systematic themes: family circumstances, economic motivations, life course engagement, and situational dynamics in carrying out a robbery. Data reveal the four most significant factors in the hierarchy of response (bad friends, money, poverty and corruption) that may account for the involvement of youths in armed robbery. Since the group of “bad friends” is the main catalyst responsible for the involvement of youths in armed robbery, the thesis concludes that this sample of respondents be regarded as a network of criminals who were strained by the unjust social structure in their native Nigeria. Besides, there is need for a Nigerian criminological theoretical framework that offers an in-depth explanation of crime in the Nigerian society.

Text in English / Violent crime and more specifically armed robberies constitute a growing threat to shopping centres in terms of their vulnerability to such criminal acts. These violent crimes are becoming ever more organised and sophisticated. Shopping centres across South Africa have become the latest targets for these syndicates. Due to the increasing number of armed robberies and violent crimes at shopping centres and the nature of violence used in these attacks, it points to a need for improvements to be made to the security measures that are in place at shopping centres. This study explored the risks and vulnerabilities at shopping centres that have led to the phenomenon of armed robberies at shopping centres in Gauteng; evaluated the current physical protection systems that are in place at shopping centres in Gauteng in order to assist with the reduction of shopping centre armed robberies; and recommendations were made for the implementation of effective security risk control measures at shopping centre’s across South Africa and specifically the province of Gauteng. Self-administered questionnaire surveys were used to explore the phenomenon from the perspectives of both retail employees and customers. The data collected from the questionnaires, utilising the non-experimental research design, were quantitatively analysed. Based on the findings from the study recommendations for the improvement of shopping centre security were formulated along with recommendations for future research. / Security Risk Management / M.Tech. (Security Management)

Text in English / Violent crime and more specifically armed robberies constitute a growing threat to shopping centres in terms of their vulnerability to such criminal acts. These violent crimes are becoming ever more organised and sophisticated. Shopping centres across South Africa have become the latest targets for these syndicates. Due to the increasing number of armed robberies and violent crimes at shopping centres and the nature of violence used in these attacks, it points to a need for improvements to be made to the security measures that are in place at shopping centres. This study explored the risks and vulnerabilities at shopping centres that have led to the phenomenon of armed robberies at shopping centres in Gauteng; evaluated the current physical protection systems that are in place at shopping centres in Gauteng in order to assist with the reduction of shopping centre armed robberies; and recommendations were made for the implementation of effective security risk control measures at shopping centre’s across South Africa and specifically the province of Gauteng. Self-administered questionnaire surveys were used to explore the phenomenon from the perspectives of both retail employees and customers. The data collected from the questionnaires, utilising the non-experimental research design, were quantitatively analysed. Based on the findings from the study recommendations for the improvement of shopping centre security were formulated along with recommendations for future research. / Security Risk Management / M.Tech. (Security Management)

The current study describes the impact of trauma on the perceptual thinking processes of participants who have sustained repeated criminal victimisation in South Africa. Fifteen adult males, (mean age 40.73 years) participated voluntarily in this descriptive study. The Rorschach Inkblot Method (RIM) is the psychometric instrument used to describe the participants and Exner’s Comprehensive System (CS) is the method of interpretation employed. The Perceptual Thinking Index (PTI) is the cluster of variables selected to describe each participant’s level of reality testing and perceptual functioning. Together with this, the D and Adjusted D Score variables are discussed to describe the participants’ overall and current coping capacities. From the research findings yielded in this study, it appears that the majority of these participants (73%) can be described as experiencing problems in terms of their perceptual thinking processes. They are also unable to appropriately engage in accurate reality testing. The results of the research study may serve as an incentive for further studies of this nature as according to the RIM, participants with this level of impaired reality testing generally present with psychotic features. However, these research results were found in participants who present with an absence of a psychotic or any schizophrenic type disorder diagnoses. Other researchers who used the RIM to assess trauma victims have found results similar to this. Furthermore, participants who present with this level of impaired reality testing, generally experience severe problems in coping with basic psychological aspects of daily functioning. This however, does not appear to be the case with this sample group, which was one of the motivating factors for conducting this research. A concluding suggestion is made for possible research into investigating how, and at what expense, other psychological features of functioning are employed, in order to manage in a seemingly well-adaptive manner. / Dissertation (MA (Clinical Psychology))--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Psychology / unrestricted

Violent cnme is among the most prominent distinguishing characteristics of South African society, it has a severely traumatising effect on the populations concerned. Based on research :findings and existing literature, this study explores traumatic effects of violent crime on the most intimate associate of the victim (the partner). Accordingly, this study deals with the much-neglected topic of secondary trauma, by focusing on the following aspects of or conditions associated with violent crime and the secondary victim: cognitive, emotional and relational effects the experience of trauma, loss, vulnerability, depression and acute stress. It reveals that, depending on the severity of the incident, its consequences for the partner of the victim may range from post-traumatic stress to acute stress or secondary traumatic stress. From the similar results returned for primary and secondary victims, it is apparent that in the future, both victim and supporter should have their needs addressed with equal emphasis. / Educational Studies / M.Ed. (Specialisation in Guidance and Councelling)

This research focused on the personal experiences of both male and female victims of violent crimes. The aim of this research was to explore how indigenous Black South Africans understand and deal with victimisation. An African epistemology was used to help gain a deeper understanding of the experiences of the participants. Participants were recruited using purposive sampling strategy. Five participants were selected for this study. Data was collected using individual face-to-face semi-structured interviews. Based on the transcribed data, themes were extracted and analysed using content analysis. The results indicate that participants attributed varying meanings to their victimisation. / Psychology / M. A. (Clinical Psychology)

Violent cnme is among the most prominent distinguishing characteristics of South African society, it has a severely traumatising effect on the populations concerned. Based on research :findings and existing literature, this study explores traumatic effects of violent crime on the most intimate associate of the victim (the partner). Accordingly, this study deals with the much-neglected topic of secondary trauma, by focusing on the following aspects of or conditions associated with violent crime and the secondary victim: cognitive, emotional and relational effects the experience of trauma, loss, vulnerability, depression and acute stress. It reveals that, depending on the severity of the incident, its consequences for the partner of the victim may range from post-traumatic stress to acute stress or secondary traumatic stress. From the similar results returned for primary and secondary victims, it is apparent that in the future, both victim and supporter should have their needs addressed with equal emphasis. / Educational Studies / M.Ed. (Specialisation in Guidance and Councelling)