A Department of Homeland Security Emeritus Center of Excellence led by the University of Maryland

A consortium of researchers dedicated to improving the understanding of the human causes and consequences of terrorism

Sept. News: START launches Terrorism 360 podcast; New data on American deaths in terrorist attacks; Has society lost grip on truth?

September 27, 2018

FEATURED

Terrorism 360 podcast aims to educate, provide variety of perspectives
START has launched a new podcast series, Terrorism 360, which features interviews with leading experts on terrorism offering their insights on the threat of terrorism and the effectiveness of counterterrorism policy, as well as recommendations for policymakers. Created and hosted by START Founding Director Gary LaFree, Terrorism 360 aims to inform its listeners of the complexities surrounding the study of terrorism and argues that sensible policy on terrorism requires an objective, science-based approach, as well as a wide variety of perspectives. The 14-episode first season, released weekly, features researchers who have contributed directly to scholarship on terrorism and hold diverse opinions. Guests include: Martha Crenshaw, Bruce Hoffman, Gina Ligon, Brian Jenkins, Mark Juergensmeyer, David Rapoport, Jessica Stern, John Mueller, Marc Sageman, Clark McCauley, Arie Kruglanski, Brent Smith, John Monahan and Stevan Weine. Read more and listen now.

American Deaths in Terrorist Attacks
In 2017, 99 Americans were killed in terrorist attacks worldwide and 84 of those on U.S. soil, according to updated data in START’s Global Terrorism Database. Since 1995, more than 3,700 Americans have been killed in terrorist attacks, with more than 3,000 killed in the September 11th attacks. Read more.

ICYMI: Overview of the 2017 GTD dataset
With 10,900 terrorist attacks killing more than 26,400 people in 2017, the numbers of terrorist attacks and deaths worldwide have declined for the third consecutive year, according to recently released START data. A background report provides an overview of the new 2017 data in START’s Global Terrorism Database, which now includes information on more than 180,000 terrorist attacks that have occurred worldwide since 1970. Read more.

DISCUSSION POINT

Our shared reality is fraying: Have we lost our grip on the truth?
In this editorial piece, Arie Kruglanski explores what happens to societies when skepticism and relativity become widespread and ground truth wanes. Read more.

NEWS

Summer internship cohort shines at START
START interns hail from all over the world and a variety of disciplines. A new video highlights the 2018 summer internship cohort, a group of students that collectively speaks 15 languages and represents 17 states, 25 universities and 26 fields of study. START’s Watch now.

START student launches youth-lead peacebuilding effort
After conceptualizing and gaining support for his idea to create crowdfunding opportunities for youth-led countering violent extremism (CVE) programs, START student Ryan Garfinkel has taken on a leadership role with The Youth-Led Peace (YLP) pilot program. The program provides opportunities to accelerate youth-led peacebuilding initiatives through crowdfunding, with support and training along the way. Read more.

New training course: Countering Violent Extremist Narratives
Countering Violent Extremist Narratives is a 3.5-hour, self-paced online course that provides an introduction to the concepts of narratives, counter-narratives, alternative narratives; commonly-found extremist narratives across violent extremist typologies; and, an overview of the principles for developing and delivering counter-narratives and alternative narratives. Read more.

Graduate Certificate in Terrorism Analysis celebrates 10 years
START is hosting four online information sessions in October for its Graduate Certificate in Terrorism Analysis. Now in its 10th year, the program has educated more than 200 students from a wide range of organizations and backgrounds. Read more.

Overview of START’s Geospatial Research Unit
START’s Geospatial Research Unit is where the traditional research methods of social science meet the latest technological advances in geographical sciences and geo-information. A new video highlights the team’s work. Watch now.

PUBLICATIONS

Carrots, Sticks, and Insurgent Targeting of Civilians
Journal of Conflict Resolution
Asal, Victor, and Brian J. Phillips, R. Karl Rethemeyer, Corina Simonelli, Joseph K. Young

Treatment Approaches for Terrorists and Extremists
Violent and Sexual Offenders: Assessment, Treatment and Management
Braddock, Kurt

Invisible Empire of Hate: Gender Differences in the Ku Klux Klan's Online Justifications for Violence
Violence and Gender
Cohen, Shuki J., and Thomas J. Holt, Steven M. Chermak, Joshua D. Freilich

Rule Makers, Rule Breakers: How Tight and Loose Cultures Wire Our World
Simon & Schuster
Gelfand, Michele

A Situated Comparison of Suicide and Non-Suicide Terrorist Plots and Homicides in the United States, 1990-2014
Crime & Delinquency
Gruenewald, Jeff, and Brent R. Klein, William S. Parkin, Joshua D. Freilich, Steven Chermak

Keeping Hospitals Operating during Disasters through Crisis Communication Preparedness
Public Relations Review
Liu, Brooke Fisher, and Brooke M. Fowler, Holly A. Roberts, Emina Herovic

Military Counterterrorism Measures, Civil-Military Relations and Democracy: The Cases of Turkey and the US
Studies in Conflict & Terrorism
Satana, Nil S., and Tijen Demirel-Pegg

EVENTS & DEADLINES

Virtual Information Sessions: Graduate Certificate in Terrorism Analysis
Oct. 1, 8, 16, 18
Sarah Fishering, START’s research transition manager, will discuss the program, requirements and application process.
E-mail education-start@umd.edu to attend.

Lecture: Globalized and Agonized?
11:30 a.m. Oct. 11 at START headquarters
Max Erdemandi, START researcher, will discuss the arguments for and against the role of cultural exchange in response to the radicalization risk of young adults.
Register to attend.

Lecture: The Future of Terrorism
1 p.m. Oct. 17 at START headquarters
Gary LaFree, START founding director and chair of Criminology and Criminal Justice, will discuss how the locus of terrorism has continued to move to new locations over time, and conclude with some policy observations about the future of terrorism and the implications of terrorism for democratic institutions.
Register to attend.

Virtual Information Session: START Internships
1 p.m. Oct. 25 online via UMD’s Webex platform
Eva Coll, START’s experiential education specialist, will discuss how the internship program currently works, what students or recent graduates have to gain from their experience in the program, application requirements, and the projects offered within the center that interns will be working on
Register to attend.

DEADLINE: Sept. 28, Apply for Global Terrorism Minor
University of Maryland students should apply by Sept. 28 for admission to the Global Terrorism Minor porgram.

DEADLINE: Oct. 28 / Nov. 11, Apply for Spring 2019 internship
Students from any university should apply by Oct. 28 (priority deadline) or Nov. 11 (final deadline) for START's Spring 2019 internship program.

TRAINING

FEMA-certified Courses

Other Courses

START IN THE NEWS

Washington Post: Terrorist attacks are quietly declining around the world
Global Terrorism Database (GTD) Program Manager Erin Miller is quoted in this article about global terrorism decreasing for the third year in a row.

WKRC-TV: Global terrorism down in 2017…but there’s more to the story.
START Director William Braniff is quoted in this article about global terrorism trends.

The Guardian: Here’s the science behind the Brexit vote and Trump’s rise
START researcher Michele Gelfand wrote this article on cultural behaviors.

Wall Street Journal: 400 Murders a Day: The Crisis of Latin America
This article about violence in Latin America uses data from the Global Terrorism Database (GTD).

Scientific American: A Powerful Force That Shapes All of our Decisions
This article discusses START researcher Michele Gelfand's new book, Rule Makers, Rule Breakers: How Tight and Loose Cultures Wire Our World.

Newshub: Interview: Martha Crenshaw
START researcher Martha Crenshaw is interviewed in this Newshub video on global terrorism trends.

CTV: Growing Venezuela Refugee Crisis
Barnett Koven appeared live in this CTV News video to discuss Venezuela’s 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.