Welcome to Volume 13, Issue 10 of the monthly VOX-Pol Newsletter
Webinar to mark the publication of the Routledge Handbook of Online Violent Extremism
Join us for a webinar to mark the publication of the Routledge Handbook of Online Violent Extremism. Dr Suraj Lakhani and Prof Stuart Macdonald, two of the Handbook’s co-editors, will be joined by Prof Maura Conway, Dr Elizabeth Pearson, JM Berger and Dr Jonathan Collins – authors of the chapters on social media, the role of women, online extremism and netnography respectively.
The Handbook is intended as the first comprehensive reference work mapping both the problem of online violent extremism and the range of responses being developed to counter it, and as a foundation for an emerging area of study sitting at the intersection of terrorism studies, computer science, law, sociology, and criminology. It grew out of the collective effort of the VOX-Pol network, bringing together researchers who have built and sustained the study of online violent extremism as a field over the past decade.
The webinar will take place at 2pm (UK time) on 3rd November. To register, please email info@voxpol.eu using an official institutional email address.
Awards and Grants
VOX-Pol member Daniel E Levenson (a PhD Student at Swansea University, studying terrorism in an age of AI) has been awarded the FBI Director’s Community Leadership Award (DCLA) in recognition of his partnership and dedication to preventing targeted violence and addressing hate crimes and threats to civil rights. This award was established in 1990 to publicly acknowledge the achievements of those working to make a difference in their communities through the promotion of education and the prevention of crime and violence. Every year, one person or organization from each of the FBI’s 56 field offices is chosen to receive this prestigious award.
VOX-Pol Member Publications
Michael Loadenthal, together with Stephen Bryant, published the article ‘Solidarity Means Attack: A Communiqué-Based Analysis of US Anarchist Action, 2020–2024‘ in Journal for the Study of Radicalism. This is especially relevant as weeks before this article was released, the US DOT/OFAC designated the subject a ‘terrorist entity’ and it was shut down.
Anda Solea, together with Lisa Sugiura, published ‘Misogynist Incels as a [Digital] Form of Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG)‘ in Loretta Trickett, Irene Zempi and Jo Smith (eds) The Palgrave Handbook of Violence Against Women and Girls. Anda Solea also made a media appearance recently, talking about the looksmaxxing trend.
Ashton Kingdon has published ‘Riots on Demand? Digital infrastructure, narrative laundering, and far-right mobilisation after Southport‘ in Criminology and Criminal Justice. This article examines far-right mobilisation following the July 2024 Southport attack through qualitative investigation of 5180 images and videos across Alt-Tech (Gab, Odysee, Rumble, Mastodon, and BitChute) and mainstream social media (X, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube).
Suraj Lakhani, together with Linda Schlegel, has a new publication ‘Harms in Digital Gaming Spaces: Patterns, Pathways and Recruitment Dynamics‘ on the Directorate-General for Migration and Home Affairs website of the European Commission.
Broderick James McDonald has co-authored (with Sam Stockwell and Connor Attridge) a commentary ‘“It’s AI”: AI Misinformation, the Liar’s Dividend and Attacks on Surveillance Infrastructure‘, for the Centre for Emerging Technology and Security at The Alan Turing Institute.
Miron Lakomy’s book, ‘Understanding Media Jihad‘, will be available to order from October 16, 2026. The book examines how Salafi-jihadi organisations use the internet not simply as a channel for propaganda, but as an integral component of their broader strategic communication efforts.
On The VOX-Pol Blog
Recently published on the VOX-Pol Blog:
- Sören Henrich, Jeremiah Perez-Torres, Séan Looney, and Brigitte Naderer, ‘Navigating Youth Fragmentation, Uncertainty, and Meaning: Insights from TASM 2026,’ September 2, 2026.
- Timothy Koskie, ‘Australia’s online watchdog is taking messaging app Telegram to court over ‘pro‑terrorist’ posts‘, September 9, 2026.
- J.M. Berger, ‘Extremism in Participatory Online Communities‘, September 16, 2026.
- Wyn Brodersen and Maik Fielitz, ‘Hate in Small Portions: Delving into Antisemitism on TikTok‘, September 23, 2026.
- Neophytos Georgiou, ‘Are autistic people more vulnerable to extremist content?‘, September 30, 2026.
- Elizabeth Pearson, Ashley A. Mattheis, Joe Whittaker and Maura Conway, ‘Whose Responsibility? Institutions and Ethics Frameworks in Online Extremism and Terrorism Research‘, October 7, 2026.
Are you interested in publishing a VOX-Pol Blog post? Read our Blog submission instructions here.
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