International kidnapping by non-state actors: Exploring the relationship between political predictors and the selection of victims

Abstract

ABSTARCT This study examines target selection by non-state actors who engage in international kidnapping. Existing literature addresses violence against specific victims, such as aid workers and journalists, and explores the attractiveness of these targets to kidnappers. However, studies fail to explore whether the political predictors of violence against aid workers or journalists are the same or different compared to other victim types. This study introduces a conceptual framework that assesses the political context of victimization, including the level of liberty in a state, foreign influence, extent of U.S. military and economic aid, degree of private sector development, region, and frequency of terrorism. Logistic regression is performed on a dataset of 579 victims, revealing a different combination of significant political predictors. This framework shows that the political environment varies across five categories of victims: aid workers, journalists, diplomats, business workers, and tourists. However, it remains unclear whether the political environment renders specific targets easier to abduct, whether those same conditions enhance the attractiveness of specific targets to non-state actors, or a combination of both. Nevertheless, knowledge of target selection preferences by non-state actors can inform policy that seeks to reduce the frequency of international kidnapping by recognizing the vulnerability of specific targets.