Abstract
NGOs such as Acid Survivors Trust International (ASTI) have made considerable efforts to highlight the issue of acid violence globally and develop strategies to prevent acid violence. In this chapter, we identify possible solutions to prevent acid violence and the potential challenges. We begin by outlining a theory of corrosive substance carrying and throwing, developed from the analysis conducted in the preceding chapters, which identifies the factors that encourage offenders to carry corrosives and how these carriers then transition to users. The theory illuminates a number of areas where preventative interventions could be developed, including interventions that aim to control the availability/accessibility of corrosives, developing laws to deter potential offenders from possession/use, focusing on interventions that make individuals less receptive to the idea of carrying/using corrosives and developing approaches focused on communities where carrying and use is prevalent. The analysis presents evidence of how these interventions have been used previously in relation to corrosives and wider weapons use, the challenges with these interventions and, lastly, key concerns for any future efforts to prevent corrosive crime.
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Notes
- 1.
In several countries, the legislation refers to ‘acid’ while actually legislating the use of corrosives, not just acid.
- 2.
Corrosives are defined as any substance capable of burning human skin by corrosives (Offensive Weapons Act, 2019; Part 1, Sec 6, Para 9).
- 3.
These include substances with the following concentration thresholds: hydrogen peroxide: 12%; nitromethane: 30%; nitric acid: 3%; sodium chlorate: 40%; potassium chlorate: 40%; sodium perchlorate: 40%; potassium perchlorate: 40%; sulphuric acid: 15%.
- 4.
These campaigns were supported by Burns Violence Survivors Nepal and Acid Survivors Foundation Pakistan. United Nations Trust Fund support was also given to large-scale campaigns in Cambodia and Uganda.
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Hopkins, M., Neville, L., Sanders, T. (2021). Preventing Acid Attacks and Corrosive Substance Crime. In: Acid Crime. Palgrave Studies in Risk, Crime and Society. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-62296-1_6
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