Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Figures
- Acknowledgments
- History of key terms
- 1 Introduction
- 2 The myths and meanings of home security
- 3 A shell for the body and mind
- 4 Invasions of privacy
- 5 Fear, crime and the home
- 6 Technologies of the defended home
- 7 Withdraw, defend or destroy
- 8 The fortress archipelago
- 9 Complexes of the domestic fortress
- References
- Index
7 - Withdraw, defend or destroy
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 06 January 2026
Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Figures
- Acknowledgments
- History of key terms
- 1 Introduction
- 2 The myths and meanings of home security
- 3 A shell for the body and mind
- 4 Invasions of privacy
- 5 Fear, crime and the home
- 6 Technologies of the defended home
- 7 Withdraw, defend or destroy
- 8 The fortress archipelago
- 9 Complexes of the domestic fortress
- References
- Index
Summary
Here we discuss the balance of responsibility between the state and the individual homeowner to protect the home, against the background of a lack of confidence in governments' ability to prevent crime and the rising sense of victimhood in popular culture and criminal justice systems. The focus of this chapter is on the legal position of the homeowner who uses lethal force in defence of their home. Illustrated by high-profile cases, developments in the law on defence and revenge are analysed and comparisons are made between the US, the UK and Australia.
Information
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- Domestic fortressFear and the new home front, pp. 132 - 151Publisher: Manchester University PressFirst published in: 2026
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