10th Anniversary of STR's Annual Postgraduate Conference: Current Themes in the Study of Terrorism and Political Violence

Session

Security Responses to Political Violence: Cooperation, Strategy, and Public Impact

2B

29 May 2026, 11:00

4.07 (Williamson Building)

36. Reassurance or Reminder: the impact of protective security measures on the public

KT Sonnen (Coventry University)

29/05/2026, 11:00

Paper

Both academically and operationally there is distinct focus on ensuring the physical safety of places, enshrined in law by the recent passed of the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025. However, how safe a location feels may be at odds with how protected from hazards it objectively is, with some studies finding that the more measures were put in the less safe individuals felt (Gastic,...

10. The Standardization Trap: Doctrinal Rigidity and Strategic Failure in Contemporary Counter-Terrorism

Chiara Caterina Gatti

29/05/2026, 11:15

Paper

The evolution of Terrorism Studies reveals a persistent paradox: as threats become increasingly fluid and decentralized, state responses remain anchored to rigid, standardized frameworks.

This paper introduces the "Standardization Trap": a strategic misconception where security apparatuses mistake procedural uniformity for strategic effectiveness. Drawing on the failures of Western...

26. Operation Banner from a new perspective: Understanding the Human Cost of Counterinsurgency

Andrew Lawler (University of Liverpool)

29/05/2026, 11:30

Paper

Operation Banner was the longest operational deployment of the British Army in its history, lasting from 1969 to 2007. Although the last soldiers on this deployment left Northern Ireland in 2007, the impacts of their service are still very much felt today. While many scholars have studied Operation Banner and the role of the British Army in detail, recent historiography has failed to include...