Piracy in Somalia: Interbehavioral Assessment and Intervention

Maritime piracy off the coast of Somalia has been thrust into the international spotlight due to its effects on international financial markets and, hence, the livelihood of many individuals around the world. Furthermore, the history of Somalia itself is one of continuous failed attempts at establishing stability in the country. While the recent piracy literature offers suggestions for intervention, they are in need of further elaboration and specification. Given these factors, the author provides an analysis of this pressing issue from a behavior analytic perspective. The issue of how and why a science of individual behavior is relevant to cultural issues will be addressed utilizing Kantor’s interbehavioral system of cultural psychology, which precisely delineates the subject-matters of psychology from other sciences. As such, two specific interdisciplinary assessment- and-intervention plans are outlined that are fully integrated with recent behavior analytic research; one plan involves consultation with maritime academies while the other requires behavior analysts to immerse themselves in Somali culture. An explicitly scientific approach may be what is needed to combat maritime piracy in Somalia.