This issue of the IJCV will focus on the ambiguities of political
measures which intend to control violence. Although there is no doubt that at least some control is necessary for peaceful relationships in and between societies, it is also true that quite a few attempts of control lead to the escalation of old or even to the emergence of new conflicts. Whatever the results, it is obviously possible to distinguish between legitimate forms of control which aim at the expansion of rights and the enhancement of political participation and illegitimate forms used by authoritarian or totalitarian regimes in order to stabilize the repressive structures of the status quo. But, to be sure, even legitimate forms have some problems insofar as, for example, preventive measures might stereotype certain persons and groups which then will cause forms of exclusion and thus new acts of violence. Or, to cite another example from the field of international relations: Attempts to pacify civil war often have unintended consequences since the intervention of great powers or international organizations in the long run might destabilize a whole region.

The editors of this issue of the IJCV are encouraging contributions from the fields of criminology and sociology, political science and history that offer insights into the chances and the effects of attempts to control violence. We welcome theoretical treatises as well as empirical case studies as long as they throw light on the aforementioned ambiguity of the phenomenon.

Deadline for manuscript submission is August 30, 2010.
Submit at
http://www.ijcv.org/index.php/ijcv/about/submissions#onlineSubmissions

Guest Editors:
Heinz-Gerhard Haupt (University of Bielefeld, Germany & European
University Institute, Italy)

Wolfgang Knöbl (Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, Germany)