FEATURED
New data shows risk of recidivism is high among extremists, highlights barriers and enablers
Before ultimately disengaging from violent extremism, desisting from crime or deradicalizing, nearly half of a sample of U.S. extremists committed multiple ideologically motivated criminal offenses, suggesting that the risk of recidivism among extremists is high but not inevitable. In a first-of-its-kind effort, START researchers collected information on 300 U.S. extremists who distanced themselves from violent extremism after their participation in ideologically motivated illegal activities. The study highlights the barriers to exiting violent extremism, as well as those factors that helped individuals exit extremist groups. The new dataset, Profiles of Individual Radicalization in the United States-Desistance, Disengagement, and Deradicalization (PIRUS-D3), will be released later this year. Read more.
START to conduct training for fire intel officers in National Capital Region
START has just won a contract to conduct training for fire intelligence officers and senior leaders within the National Capital Region through the DHS-funded Urban Area Security Initiative, High Threat Liaison Program. To strengthen its interagency capacity to address terrorist threats, Prince George's County Fire/EMS Department and the Arlington County Fire Department are partnering with START and other University of Maryland entities to develop and deliver an academically rigorous professional development program. Read more.
OPPORTUNITIES
Earn your Graduate Certificate in Terrorism Analysis
START’s Graduate Certificate in Terrorism Analysis is currently accepting applications for Fall 2019. The deadline to apply is Friday, July 26. The graduate certificate program provides participants with advanced education on the causes, dynamics and impacts of international and domestic terrorism. Read more.
Enroll by Aug. 12 to join inaugural cohort of free, online CVE course
Learn how to develop a community engagement program to counter violent extremism in a six-week, facilitator-led online course. Enroll by Aug. 12 to participate in Designing Effective Community Responses to Radicalization to Violence (DECRRV), a FEMA-certified course made available at no cost to learners thanks to funding through the Department of Homeland Security. Read more.
PUBLICATIONS
Using Google and Twitter to Measure, Validate and Understand Views about Religion across Africa
Society
Adamczyk, Amy, and Gary LaFree, Maria Barrera-Vilert
Back to the Future: Teaching about the End of the World
European Political Science
Asal, Victor, and Justin Conrad, Steve Sin
Assessing the Impact of the Global War on Terrorism on Terrorism Threats in Muslim Countries
Terrorism and Political Violence
Henne, Peter S.
Call to Action: Mobilizing Community Discussion to Improve Information-Sharing About Vulnerabilities in Industrial Control Systems and Critical Infrastructure
2019 11th International Conference on Cyber Conflict
Kapellmann, Daniel, and Rhyner Washburn
Measuring Tactical Innovation in Terrorist Attacks
Journal of Creative Behavior
Logan, Michael K., and Gina S. Ligon, Douglas C. Derrick
The Effect of Interventions on Functional Impairment in Youth Exposed to Mass Trauma: A Meta-Analysis
Journal of Child & Adolescent Trauma
Pfefferbaum, Betty, and Pascal Nitiema, Elana Newman
NEWS
START interns attend policy roundtable at British Embassy
A group of START interns recently attended a policy roundtable led by British Ambassador to the United States Kim Darroch, in which the ambassador spoke on a variety of topics ranging from current events in Iran to social media as a recruitment tactic. Read more.
Farah Pandith discusses available and affordable solutions to crisis of recruitment and radicalization
In July, Farah Pandith visited START to give a talk on her new book, “How We Win: How Cutting-Edge Entrepreneurs, Political Visionaries, Enlightened Business Leaders, and Social Media Mavens Can Defeat the Extremist Threat.” She argued that the solutions to the crisis of recruitment and radicalization are available and affordable. Read more.
Kruglanski, Belanger and Gunaratna launch their book ‘The Three Pillars of Radicalization’ at START
Last month, START researcher Arie Kruglanski and his co-authors Jocelyn J. Bélanger and Rohan Gunaratna launched their new book on radicalization, “The Three Pillars of Radicalization: Needs, Narratives, and Networks.” The book explores a new model of radicalization that identifies factors underlying the individual's quest for significance. Read more.
From GTD user to GTD coder
For years, Lara Eid used the GTD as a source in content she wrote for her employer in Lebanon. Now she’s behind the scenes as a GTD intern as she pursues a master’s degree on a Fulbright Scholarship. The aspiring policymaker is also the co-founder of a NGO that supports orphans. Read more.
START continues to seek opportunities to fund the GTD beyond 2019
If your organization uses the GTD and would like to explore options to support data collection or purchase a license for commercial use, please contact us at gtd@start.umd.edu. If you are an individual who would like to support the GTD, you may make a gift directly to START through the University of Maryland College Park Foundation (UMCPF). START also welcomes testimonials sent to gtd@start.umd.edu from individuals and organizations regarding the value of the GTD to ongoing analytical efforts.
EVENTS
Career Talk: ICONS Researcher and Simulation Developer Ron Capps
2:00 p.m. July 30, at START Headquarters
Ron Capps, a researcher and simulation developer on the ICONS project at START, will give a career talk at START Headquarters. Capps served in government for 25 years as a soldier in airborne and special operations units as a combat arms, area intelligence, and foreign area officer, and as a Department of State Foreign Service officer (political affairs).
Register to attend.
TRAINING
FEMA-certified Courses
- Coalition-Building for Countering Violent Extremism and Community Resilience
- Community-led Action in Response to Violent Extremism (CARVE)
- Countering Violent Extremist Narratives
- Integrating Mental Health and Education Approaches into CVE
- Designing Effective Community Responses to Radicalization to Violence (DECRRV)
Other Courses
- Cyber Threats You Face and Ways to Mitigate Them
- Using the Global Terrorism Database
- Training in Risk and Crisis Communication
START IN THE NEWS
NPR: Recipe For A Revolution
START affiliate Erica Chenoweth was interviewed for this radio spot about peaceful revolutions.
Bustle: Why The Betsy Ross Flag Has Been Taken Up By Some White Nationalists
START researcher Michael Jensen was quoted in this article about white nationalist use of historical American symbols.
The New York Times: What Is Antifa? Explaining the Movement to Confront the Far Right
This article about the Antifa movement uses data from the Global Terrorism Database (GTD).
USA Today: Global terrorism is in decline. For victims, it doesn't feel like it
START researcher Erin Miller is quoted in this article about global terrorism trends and victims of terrorism.
Vice: We Analyzed More Than 1 Million Comments on 4chan. Hate Speech There Has Spiked by 40% Since 2015.
START researchers Erin Miller and Patrick James are quoted in this article about trends in online hate speech.
The Hill: Fears of violence grow amid Trump race storm
START affiliate Peter Simi is quoted in this article about fears of violence during the coming US presidential election.
The Conversation: Are Syrian refugees a danger to the West?
START researcher Arie Kruglanski co-wrote this article about the Syrian refugee crisis.
This is a selection of news clips from the past month.
A complete list of START’s media coverage can be found here.
SUPPORTING START
Help Support START Research and Education
The START Consortium is dedicated to generating knowledge of the human causes and consequences of terrorism. Applying rigorous standards to both research and education, START seeks to illuminate one of the most highly politicized and understudied phenomena in the social sciences for students, practitioners and policy-makers. Funded primarily through research grants to date, START is seeking to generate an endowment that will provide the flexibility and autonomy to ensure that it can continue to serve as an objective source of data and empirically based analysis into the future. To donate, or for more information, please click here.
Copyright © 2019 The National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (START), All rights reserved.
Our mailing address is:
The National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (START)
PO Box Number 266
5245 Greenbelt Rd
College Park, MD 20740