Empirical Assessment of Domestic Radicalization

• In Event: The NIJ Scientific Program on Domestic Radicalization to Violent Extremism

Abstract

This project examines 1800 individuals in the U.S. associated with violent extremism in order to advance the empirical basis for understanding domestic radicalization. The study focuses on the differences between radicals and/or the radicalization processes of those who accept the personal use of violence for political purposes and those who only engage in non-violent criminality, the relationship between radical beliefs and radical behavior, and how strongly the evidence supports theories of radicalization in general. The results of this study will provide evidence-supported conclusions of how radicalization works, allowing for the development of more focused prevention and countering violent extremism programs.

Author

• John Paul Sawyer, University of Maryland