Combating Homegrown Terrorism Through Community and Family Education

• In Event: Poster Session 1

Abstract

Communities in the United States and around the world are at risk of everyday civilians turning into homegrown terrorists. Homegrown terrorists are those who conduct terrorist acts domestically, in their own country and against fellow citizens. This topic is very important because since the attacks on 9/11, there have been 140+ deaths and 345 individuals injured by homegrown extremists in the United States, with a 357% rise in cases from 2013 to 2021. While such attacks traditionally targeted law enforcement, military, and government officials, the targets and tactics of extremists are ever-changing, making it crucial to understand and recognize the signs. Using secondary research, this paper examines how educating communities and families on the risks and signs of homegrown terrorism, as well as barriers to reporting suspicious activity, can help prevent homegrown terrorism. This paper also explores a number of domestic homegrown terrorist attacks that have occurred over the last twenty-three years to identify extremist warning signs that might have been identified, while also exploring how educating communities and families could have prevented these attacks. By providing sufficient education to communities, the warning signs of homegrown terrorism can be better recognized, even within family structures, and be more preventable.

Author

• Olivia C. Wilcox, Southern New Hampshire University