The Terrorism Label: Public Perceptions on Terrorism and Punishment Severity.

• In Event: U.S. Extremism and Terrorism: Perceptions, Threats, and Reponses

Abstract

A central focus of much terrorism research centers on the mechanisms that lead individuals to radicalization, methods of attack, and how media coverage influences public perception. While much of this research has informed our understanding of how individual pathways may influence terrorist outcomes, relatively less attention has been paid to how the public’s perception of the terrorist label is associated with punitive attitudes. The current study employed a vignette-based survey experiment where key characteristics of an attacker and their victim were manipulated to assess the extent to which public opinion on punishment severity is shaped by offender identity. Data are based on an opt-in online survey of adults in America. The analyses indicated that both attacker and victim characteristics were associated with variation in punitive attitudes. Findings contribute to criminological understandings of implicit bias by highlighting how racialized and political narratives can shape punitive attitudes. This research has implications for legal discourse, media framing, and counterterrorism policy, particularly in how public sentiment may diverge based on attacker demographics rather than offense severity. By interrogating the social construction of terrorism, this study advances critical discussions on justice, bias, and the intersection of law and public perception.

Authors

• Lindsey Insco, University of Cincinnati

• Lauren Insco, University of Dayton

• Joseph L. Nedelec, University of Cincinnati