Across the Universe? A Comparative Analysis of Violent Radicalization Across Three Offender Types with Implications for Criminal Justice Training and Education

• In Event: Radicalization to Violent Extremism: Is One Thing Like Another?

Abstract

This paper presents the results from a two-year program of research to develop a series of studies comparing the behavioral underpinnings of three types of U.S.-based offenders since 1990: solo-terrorists, lone-actor terrorists, and individuals who engage in mass casualty violence but lack an ideological motivation. In particular this research program compared the developmental, antecedent behavioral and ideological factors that crystallized within the offender and are later expressed behaviorally via the offense itself. This program of research explored whether (dis)similarities were observable across these offender types and what the relevant implications were for law enforcement. To address these questions, the research program used three sub-projects drawn on distinctive research methods. Each observation was coded using a 180+ variable codebook previously developed in a Department of Homeland Security funded project. These sub-projects focused upon (a) a descriptive trend analysis of pre-crime commission behaviors in order to understand what behaviors occur commonly across these three offense types and which behaviors are increasing in extent longitudinally (b) a comparative analysis of between offender types to investigate whether distinct behavioral profiles are apparent and (c) a sequential analysis of the planning and execution of offenses using crime scripting methodologies. By providing empirically informed and practitioner-oriented research, the project delivers an evidential basis for informing multiple facets of investigative practice both within and across offense and offender types.

Author

• John Horgan, Georgia State University