The development of durable materials for nuclear-energy related applications has been central to efforts in materials science. There still exist, however, large gaps in the understanding of material degradation under intense radiation. Neutron total scattering measurements with pair distribution function analysis can be utilized to uniquely characterize radiation effects in a wide range of ceramics. This enables detailed analysis of both cation and anion defect behavior, and short-range order, which is important for the investigation of disordered and amorphous materials. Recent results for fluorite-related oxides demonstrate that radiation effects are more complex than previously thought with distinct processes occurring over different length scales. For example, disordered A2B2O7 pyrochlore is composed of local structural building blocks that maintain atomic order and exist in configurations that are different than the expected average structure. Here we will highlight the importance of short-range analysis for a comprehensive description of radiation behavior and amorphization resistance.