Characterizing and Preventing Domestic Terrorism: A Mixed-Methods Study of Five Far-Right Terrorist Groups

This project aims to address the following research objectives: 1. Assess how risk factors vary across different far-right terrorist ideologies. 2. Assess how factors may be related to the likelihood of carrying out an attack. 3. Assess how combinations of factors may interact to increase risk. 4. Assess how protective factors might mitigate the risk of radicalization and terrorism.

Multiple methods will be employed to address the research objectives. The three main components of the project are: Incident analysis, Perpetrator analysis and Discourse analysis.

By carrying out these analyses, the applicants propose to make contributions to the development and improvement of tools which can: (1) identify and distinguish between radicalization and pre-attack behaviors of perpetrators of different far-right groups; (2) Identify which societal, economic and political environment is more likely to facilitate violence of a specific far-right group; (3) Distinguish between the specific patterns of online communications and activities of the different far-right groups; (4) recognize the linkages between individuals’ emotional manifestations online and their potential radicalization as it relates to specific types of far-right groups. Findings will be utilized in order to create evidence-based online learning modules and an outreach campaign targeting the practitioners, policymakers and other relevant private sector entities, as well as national, state and local law enforcement agencies and cyber divisions. The project team of terrorism research leaders and former law enforcement counterterrorism professionals will disseminate findings to the high-tech, academic, and policy communities in peer-reviewed scientific journals, research and policy briefs, conferences and seminars.

Note: This project contains a research and/or development component, as defined in applicable law, and complies with Part 200 Uniform Requirements - 2 CFR 200.210(a)(14). CA/NCF