Homicides Committed by Far-Right Extremists in Germany & the United States

• In Event: Defining and Predicting Violence in Various Cultural Contexts

Abstract

This study compares homicide events committed by far-right extremists in Germany and the United States between 1990 and 2012. During this time period, both countries experienced fluctuations in violence committed by far-right extremists for disparate reasons. However, even though macro-level changes may have driven the variation in far-right activity, the manifestation of this violence can, and should, be compared cross-culturally so researchers can begin to understand whether fatal acts of violence perpetrated by ideological extremists vary across time and place. Utilizing open-source data, the research examines similarities and differences of these homicide events on the victim, suspect, and incident levels of analysis.

Authors

• William Parkin, Seattle University

• Elisabeth Krappen, Seattle University

• Jeff Gruenewald, University of Arkansas