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ABSTRACT
This paper will evaluate two acts of terrorism: the Toulouse and Montauban Terror Attack of 2012 and the 2013 Boston Marathon Bombing. While a great deal of discussion has centered on these isolated attacks, limited research has bridged a comparison of these events and the pathways of radicalization. This study will integrate three criminological theories to explain why these atrocities were committed. First, using Social Learning Theory, the study will show that Tamerlan and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, known as the Boston Marathon Bombers, as well as Mohamed Merah, the individual responsible for the Toulouse and Montauban Terror Attacks, learned terror-related techniques from social and non-social sources. Second, Strain Theory will be incorporated into the discussion. Here, the blockage of goals, the removal of positive stimuli, the presentation of negative stimuli, and the inability to cope to these changes played an important role in the radicalization process of these individuals as well. Finally, Social Bond Theory will be utilized to illustrate that Mohamed Merah and the Tsarnaev Brothers had weak social bonds to their family, self, and community. This contributed to their radicalization and their motive to inflict harm.
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Joshua Regan
Joshua Regan is a faculty member affiliated with the geography curriculum at Western Connecticut State University and the University of Connecticut. Additionally, Dr Regan conducts research and teaches national security, homeland security, and criminal justice studies at the University of New Haven. His research primarily focuses on failed states, terrorism, contemporary maritime piracy, and patterns of criminal behavior in declining urban neighborhoods. His research has been presented throughout North America and Europe.