Max Taylor (psychologist)
Encyclopedia
Maxwell "Max" Taylor is a Forensic and Legal psychologist who initially specialized in the study of terrorism
and who subsequently became involved in the study of sex offender
s, returning later to the study of terrorism.
of the London Metropolitan Police. As part of the Project work, with colleagues he helped to develop the COPINE scale
. The COPINE Scale is a typology to categorize child abuse images for use in both research and law enforcement. The ten-level typology was based on analysis of images available on websites and internet newsgroups. Other researchers developed similar ten-level scales. He has also written of the threat of virtual child pornography
, materials which "appear" to involve minors. In 2005, Taylor became Professor of International Relations and Director of E-Learning at the Centre for the Study of Terrorism and Political Violence University of St Andrews
, where he subsequently became Director in 2009. In this period Taylor developed elearning programmes in Terrorism Studies (Certificate in Terrorism Studies and Diploma M.Litt in Terrorism Studies). He is currently editor of the journal Terrorism and Political Violence. Recent research relates to terrorism and the Internet.
Terrorism
Terrorism is the systematic use of terror, especially as a means of coercion. In the international community, however, terrorism has no universally agreed, legally binding, criminal law definition...
and who subsequently became involved in the study of sex offender
Sex offender
A sex offender is a person who has committed a sex crime. What constitutes a sex crime differs by culture and by legal jurisdiction. Most jurisdictions compile their laws into sections such as traffic, assault, sexual, etc. The majority of convicted sex offenders have convictions for crimes of a...
s, returning later to the study of terrorism.
Life and career
He was Professor and Head of the Department of Applied Psychology, at University College Cork from 1983 to 2005. Whilst in Cork, he formed the COPINE Project ("Combating Paedophile Information Networks in Europe"): this was an EU funded research initiative which was originally developed in cooperation with the Paedophile UnitPaedophile Unit
The Paedophile Unit is a branch of the British London Metropolitan Police Service's Child Abuse Investigation Command, based at Scotland Yard. It deals with organised crime and the manufacture and distribution of child pornography...
of the London Metropolitan Police. As part of the Project work, with colleagues he helped to develop the COPINE scale
Copine scale
The Copine Scale is a rating system created in Ireland and used in the United Kingdom to categorise the severity of child pornography. The scale was developed by staff at the COPINE project...
. The COPINE Scale is a typology to categorize child abuse images for use in both research and law enforcement. The ten-level typology was based on analysis of images available on websites and internet newsgroups. Other researchers developed similar ten-level scales. He has also written of the threat of virtual child pornography
Child pornography
Child pornography refers to images or films and, in some cases, writings depicting sexually explicit activities involving a child...
, materials which "appear" to involve minors. In 2005, Taylor became Professor of International Relations and Director of E-Learning at the Centre for the Study of Terrorism and Political Violence University of St Andrews
University of St Andrews
The University of St Andrews, informally referred to as "St Andrews", is the oldest university in Scotland and the third oldest in the English-speaking world after Oxford and Cambridge. The university is situated in the town of St Andrews, Fife, on the east coast of Scotland. It was founded between...
, where he subsequently became Director in 2009. In this period Taylor developed elearning programmes in Terrorism Studies (Certificate in Terrorism Studies and Diploma M.Litt in Terrorism Studies). He is currently editor of the journal Terrorism and Political Violence. Recent research relates to terrorism and the Internet.