Understanding Terrorism in America

Hewitt, Christopher

doi:10.4324/9780203301432

Cited by 133 publications

(114 citation statements)

References 1 publication

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“…Mental health issues appeared to be a common feature characterising the lone actors that participants come into contact with on a regular basis. This ostensibly contradicts earlier research that terrorists are not characterised by mental illness and that so-called normal psychology is an almost universal trait (Bakker and de Graaf, 2011), but it is countered by studies that focus on lone actors (Corner and Gill, 2015;Hewitt, 2003). However, it was not clear from current data what expertise informed participants' conclusions: it is a commonplace that behaviour which cannot be understood becomes categorised as irrational, with a small step from there to imputing mental health problems.…”

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 49%

“…What is not clear from this small study is whether those perceptions have any reliable basis. As mentioned earlier, the literature suggests a higher prevalence of mental health problems among lone wolves than among other terrorists (Hewitt, 2003;Spaiij, 2010Spaiij, , 2012. Future research might usefully explore more fully practitioners' awareness of research in this specific area.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 85%

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Influences and vulnerabilities in radicalised lone-actor terrorists

Peddell

Eyre

McManus

et al. 2016

International Journal of Police Science & Management

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The threat to national security from terrorists acting on their own initiative is a challenge for law enforcement and intelligence agencies in the UK and elsewhere. The UK Parliament’s 2014 threat assessment noted ‘a trend towards ‘low signature’ terrorism by small, self-directed groups and lone actors’ [House of Commons Home Affairs Committee (2014) Counter-Terrorism – Seventeenth Report of Session 2013–14]. Lone actors have become a higher priority for counter-terrorism professionals (UK police, Prevent practitioners and security agencies), but there is a paucity of research into the views and awareness of these professionals. This qualitative study examined how Prevent practitioners perceived the radicalisation and motivations of lone-actor terrorists they had encountered. Participants were an opportunity sample of five Prevent practitioners; all had served as police officers with varying employment backgrounds and counter-terrorism experience. A thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews identified perceived general characteristics of lone-actor radicalisation. Three themes clustering around the concept of becoming a terrorist are discussed: mechanisms of radicalisation, vulnerability to radical discourse, and individual motivation. Participants construed radicalisation as a process over time, accelerated in the presence of generalised criminality or extensive Internet use. Vulnerability was seen as inherent, as well as a product of social context. Participants adopted folk-psychological explanations with mental health problems, social isolation and relative deprivation cited as prominent vulnerability factors. Lone actors were seen as motivated by grievances (e.g. deprivation), pressure from external sources (e.g. rational prospectors) or personal reward (e.g. sensation-seeking). Practitioners’ perceptions of the process over time had parallels with a diathesis–stress model, although there was some support for social movement theory.

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Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 49%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 85%

Influences and vulnerabilities in radicalised lone-actor terrorists

Peddell

Eyre

McManus

et al. 2016

International Journal of Police Science & Management

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“…While there is still no consensus definition of a far-right extremist (see Michael, 2003), this term has been used to describe a variety of individuals and groups who adhere to White supremacist and anti-government belief systems (Barkun, 1997;Berlet & Vysotsky, 2006;Hewitt, 2003;Hoffman, 1987;Neiwert, 1999;Perliger, 2012;Smith, 1994). 3 We will rely on the ECDB's definition of a far-right extremist, which was 2 Data from ECDB has also been used in previous research to successfully examine issues, such as extremist group dynamics (Freilich, Chermak, & Caspi, 2009), differences between violent and non-violent extremist groups , differences between far-right homicides and "regular" non-extremist homicides (Gruenewald & Pridemore, 2012), lone wolf extremist violence (Gruenewald, Chermak, & Freilich, 2013a;2013b), ideologically motivated victimization (Parkin, Freilich & Chermak, 2015;, and county-level variations in extremist attacks (Chermak & Gruenewald, 2015;Freilich, Adamczyk, Chermak, Boyd, & Parkin, 2014).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

A Mixed-Method Analysis of Fatal Attacks on Police by Far-Right Extremists

et al. 2015

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Several recent high-profile homicides of police officers have brought increased attention to issues of far-right extremist violence in the United States. We still, however, know very little about why (and how) certain encounters between far-right extremists and police result in violence. To fill this research gap, we conduct a mixed-method analysis of far-right police homicides based on quantitative and qualitative data from the United States Extremist Crime Database (ECDB). We begin by categorizing cases based on key aspects of homicide storylines.We then comparatively analyze attributes of event precursor, transaction, and aftermath stages across four storyline categories. Finally, a case study is purposively selected to follow-up on each storyline category to better capture the nuances of fluid homicide processes. Our findings have important implications for identifying triggering events, escalation factors, and other situated sets of conditions and circumstances that contribute to deadly outcomes for police officers.

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“…Resource mobilization theory places a heavy premium on leadership skills in determining which movements or groups succeed (Zald and Mccarthy, 1987). Stern (2003) concluded that terrorist leaders are fundamental to group success because they decide and justify the message and tactics, provide a sense of identity and purpose, and empower marginal followers (see also Hamm, 1993Hamm, , 2002Hewitt, 2003;Jurgensmeyer, 2000;Ruggiero, 2005;Smith, 1994). Relatedly, current social movement scholarship criticizes earlier approaches that refused to take the ideology of far-right groups seriously and dismissed their beliefs as irrational or unreasoned.…”

Section: Growth Of Groupsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Critical events in the life trajectories of domestic extremist white supremacist groups

Freilich

Chermak

Caspi

2009

Criminology & Public Policy

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M i c h i g a n S t a t e U n i v e r s i t y N a t i o n a l C o n s o r t i u m f o r t h e S t u d i e s o f T e r r o r i s m a n d R e s p o n s e s t o T e r r o r i s m ( S T A R T ) David Caspi J o h n J a y C o l l e g e o f C r i m i n a l J u s t i c e N a t i o n a l C o n s o r t i u m f o r t h e S t u d i e s o f T e r r o r i s m a n d R e s p o n s e s t o T e r r o r i s m ( S T A R T ) Research SummaryThis study examines the evolution of four domestic far-right racist organizations: Aryan Nations, National Alliance, Public Enemy Number 1 (PEN1), and Oklahoma Constitutional Militia (OCM)

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Understanding Terrorism in America

Cited by 133 publications

References 1 publication

Influences and vulnerabilities in radicalised lone-actor terrorists

Influences and vulnerabilities in radicalised lone-actor terrorists

A Mixed-Method Analysis of Fatal Attacks on Police by Far-Right Extremists

Critical events in the life trajectories of domestic extremist white supremacist groups

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