A Behavioral Study of the Radicalization Trajectories of American "Homegrown" Al Qaeda-Inspired Terrorist Offenders, 2001-2015 [UNITED STATES] (ICPSR 36452)
These data are part of NACJD's Fast Track Release and are distributed as they were received from the data depositor. The files have been zipped by NACJD for release, but not checked or processed except for the removal of direct identifiers. Users should refer to the accompanying readme file for a brief description of the files available with this collection and consult the investigator(s) if further information is needed.
The study aimed to develop and empirically test a dynamic risk assessment model of radicalization process characteristics of homegrown terrorists inspired by Al Qaeda's ideology. The New York Police Department (NYPD) model developed by Mitchell D. Silber and Arvin Bhatt was chosen as the basis for creating a typology of overt and detectable indicators of individual behaviors widely thought to be associated with extremism. Specific behavioral cues associated with each stage of radicalization were coded and used to estimate the sequencing of behaviors and the duration of the average radicalization trajectory. Out of 331 homegrown American Jihadists (Group A), 135 were selected for further examination of their radicalization (Group B). Data were collected from public records ranging from social media postings by the offenders themselves to evidence introduced in the adjudication of the offenses for which the offenders were incarcerated. Life histories were compiled for Group B, whose detailed biographies were used to chart the timelines of their radicalization trajectories.
The collection includes an Excel file which contains one data table for Group A (10 variables, n=331) and two data tables for Group B (32 variables, n=135 and 5 variables, n=135, respectively). An accompanying codebook file details the variables in these tables. There is also a document with approximately 1 page narratives for each of the 135 individuals in Group B. A file containing a key indicating the names of the subjects is not available with this collection.
The Role of Social Networks in the Evolution of Al Qaeda-inspired Violent Extremism in the United States, 1990-2014 (ICPSR 36235)
This study compiled data on American jihadists and other Islamic extremists recruited since the early 1990s. Specifically, "homegrown" terrorist, referring to Americans and other Westerners who are inspired to commit acts of terrorism or support those committing these acts in their home country on behalf of foreign terrorist organizations, are the main focus. The purpose of this research is to address the central question: How do foreign terrorist organizations mobilize Americans to carry out attacks on their behalf?
Variables collected include extremist group affiliation, criminal background, foreign fighter history if applicable, coconspirators and their relationship, and the location and nature of terrorist plots. Demographic variables include sex, ethnicity, immigration status, education, and profession.
Sequencing Terrorists' Precursor Behaviors: A Crime Specific Analysis, United States, 1980-2012 (ICPSR 36676)
These data are part of NACJD's Fast Track Release and are distributed as they were received from the data depositor. The files have been zipped by NACJD for release, but not checked or processed except for the removal of direct identifiers. Users should refer to the accompanying readme file for a brief description of the files available with this collection and consult the investigator(s) if further information is needed.
This study identified the temporal dimensions of terrorists' precursor conduct to determine if these behaviors occurred in a logically sequenced pattern, with a particular focus on the identification of sequenced patterns that varied by group type, group size, and incident type. The study specifically focused on how these pre-incident activities were associated with the successful completion or prevention of terrorist incidents and how they differed between categories of terrorism. Data utilized for this study came from the American Terrorism Study (ATS), a database that includes "officially designated" federal terrorism cases from 1980-October 1, 2016, collected for the National Institute of Justice.
The project focused on three major issues related to terrorists' precursor behaviors:
- A subgroup analysis of temporal, crime-specific patterns by group type,
- The nature of the planning process, and
- Factors associated with the outcomes of terrorist incidents (success or failure).
The collection contains 2 SPSS data files, Final_Hypothesis_Data_Set.sav (n=550; 16 variables) and Final_Sequencing_Antecedent_Temporal.sav (n=2354; 16 variables), and 1 plain text file, Recode_Syntax.txt.