Sheelagh Brady | School of Law and Government
Sheelagh Brady
Former Sergeant with An Garda Siochana; Senior Security Information Analyst with United Nations Department of Safety and Security (UNDSS) Nigeria; Security Analyst with EUBAM Libya; and MAC Analyst with EUPM Bosnia Herzegovina; Senior Security Analyst with SAR Consultancy.
Education:
MSc in Crime Science, Jill Dando Institute, University College London (UCL), 2009
MA (Criminal Justice - Sociology and Deviance), John Jay College of Criminal Justice, New York
BA (Public Management (Administration of Justice), Institute of Public Administration (IPA), 2001
Supervisors: Prof. Maura Conway and Dr. James Fitzgerald
Thesis Title: How and Why Do People Get Involved in Violence Organisations?
Thesis Abstract:
This project focuses on the reasons why some people join violence organisations, namely criminal gangs, terrorist groups, military and private military contractors/mercenaries. Up to now, many researchers have treated criminals and terrorists as fundamentally different to ‘normal people’, and to each other, making it easy to explain why some people joined these groups and others did not. However, research now denotes that factors such as friends and family involved in the same activity, the desire for ‘fun’, danger, social recognition, influences both groups. As a result, many researchers have realised that criminals and terrorists are not so different from each other, or from the ‘general public’. However, this has not inspired investigation as to whether these factors influence joining the military or PMC or influenced progress on comparing illegal and legal groups. In fact, even though some of these issues may be the same for both groups, many academics still only focus on one group; hence, the literature lacks a comparative focus of illegal groups, not to mention legal groups who use violence. The lack of a comparative analysis has been justified by assertions that it is important to treat such groups as different entities, because of differences in motivation. For example, gangs are motivated by factors such as money, drugs, power, while terrorists are seen to be motivated by ‘deeper’ issues, such as politics, self-determination and religion. It is essential that we understand the similarities (and differences) between these four groups, because an increased awareness of motivational factors to join violence organisations will have significant implications for policy making (i.e. prevention). This study attempts to fulfill this goal by comparing illegal violence with legal violence; the results [envisaged] will show that when it comes to people who join violence organisations, they are defined more so by their similarities than their differences.
Areas of Interest: Terrorism & Extremism, Organised Crime, Gangs & Corruption, Policing, and International Security Studies
Publication:
Book Chapters
Brady, S.A. 2016, ‘Policing Transnational Organised Crime, National Perspective, Challenges, Strategies & Tactics’ in Hauck, P. & Peterke, S. 2016, International Law & Transnational Organised Crime. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Public reports (non-peer reviewed)
Brady, S.A. 2016. Anti-Corruption Justice and Collaboration in Kosovo: Challenges and Recommendations, U4 Anti-Corruption Brief, Chr. Michelsen Institute, U4 Brief 2017:6, available from http://www.u4.no/publications/anti-corruptionjustice-and-collaboration-…
Brady, S.A. 2012. Organised Crime in BiH A silent war fought by an ambush of toothless tigers or a war not yet fought? Available from https://www.occrp.org/en/daily/1695-report-the-evolution-of-organized-c…
Brady, S.A. (2015). Even in Ireland we must be vigilant. The Irish Independent, 17 Nov. Available from
Email address: sheelagh.brady66@mail.dcu.ie
Twitter: @SbradyInt