ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book examines the literature that addresses the issue of who is a victim in violent conflicts. It focuses specifically on the victims of terrorism and political violence. The book critically analyses the construction and politicisation of victimhood. The book concerns constructions of victimhood then challenging one-dimensional and static notions of victims and combatants, this discussion argues that these terms are not monochromatic but are embedded in individual heterogeneity and the broader socio-political context in which acts of political violence can occur. The book also highlights the issues that exist around a definition of victimhood, the exclusivity and politicisation of the term, and a hierarchy of victimhood. It outlines the running debate on the potential benefits of a legal statute embracing a catalogue of rights for victims of terrorism.
