The Path to Terrorist Violence: A Threat Assessment Model for Radical Groups at Risk of Escalation to Acts of Terrorism

Abstract

A threat assessment model to identify domestic radical groups on a trajectory towards terrorist violence remains an elusive goal. The lack of a model constrains proactive counter-terrorism efforts resulting in largely reactive strategies that often are ineffectual in discovering and disrupting terrorist plots while in an inchoate stage. The Path to Terrorist Violence Model, based on a threat assessment model used in the emerging field of threat management for the judiciary and elected officials, is a valid and reliable assessment methodology to identify radical groups at risk of escalation to acts of terrorism. By focusing on attack-related behaviors that a group must take to mount a planned attack, the Path to Terrorist Violence avoids contentious issues related to psychosocial, religious, race or ethnicity-based profiling assumptions.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Sep 01, 2005
Accession Number
ADA439578

Entities

People

  • Dean T. Olson

Organizations

  • Naval Postgraduate School

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical
  • Counter IED
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Crime
  • Criminals
  • Employment
  • Governments
  • Health Services
  • Intelligence Cycle
  • Personnel Management
  • Police
  • Psychology
  • Recreation
  • Social Psychology
  • Societies
  • Terrorism
  • Terrorists
  • Threat Evaluation
  • United States
  • Violence

Readers

  • Organizational Psychology.
  • Strategic Security Studies
  • Systems Analysis and Design