Lone Actors
Not that lonely! assessing the “socialization” role of online environment in the radicalization process of lone wolves
April 29, 2025This study examines lone wolf attacks, distinct aspect of terrorism, through contemporary dynamics. Broadly, lone wolves are defined as individuals who experience their radicalization processes independently and are often associated with self-radicalization. However, it would be inaccurate to assume that lone wolves are entirely isolated from social processes. Although they do not act on directives ...
Foreshadowing Terror: Exploring the Time of Online Manifestos Prior to Lone Wolf Attacks
April 28, 2025Previous research has highlighted the prominent behavior of lone wolf terrorists to produce and share a manifesto publicly, outlining their frustrations and motivations for their eventual terrorist attack. This article aims to explore this phenomenon, focusing on the timelapse between when a terrorist manifesto is posted online and when the eventual attack occurs, discussing the ...
An exploratory analysis of leakage warning behavior in lone-actor terrorists
March 3, 2025Leakage is one of the eight warning behaviors referred to in the violence risk and threat assessment literature. Previous research has highlighted the relevance and prevalence of leakage in lone-actor terrorists; however, a more detailed understanding of this phenomenon is lacking. This study sets out to expand our knowledge of this behavior by conducting an ...
Imagined Extremist Communities: The Paradox of the Community-Driven Lone-Actor Terrorist
February 21, 2025This paper introduces the concept of “imagined extremist communities,” a term that encapsulates the unique social landscape where right-wing lone actors, despite not being affiliated with organised groups, partake in a form of communal interaction. By examining the cases of Anders Behring Breivik, Brenton Harrison Tarrant, and Philip Manshaus, this paper illuminates how group-based and ...
Psychiatry of Radicalization and Terrorism in the Lone Wolf, Children, and Women: An E-ethnographic Approach for Analysis
February 20, 2025Radicalization is a global event affecting different countries and present in different historical contexts. Psychiatrists can help in the analysis of radicalization in individuals who operate autonomously from more radicalized groups. These lone actors or lone wolves are more difficult to spot as there is no unique identification because they operate as self-determined women or ...
Far-Right Lone-Actor Terrorist Attacks and Violent Extremist use of File-Sharing Platforms
August 10, 2024VOX-Pol Blog Post. ...
Violent Misogyny, Mass Murder and Suicide: It’s Time to Save Incels from Themselves
August 7, 2024VOX-Pol Blog Post. ...
Countering Lone Wolf Terrorism: Weak Signals and Online Activities
June 28, 2024VOX-Pol Blog post. ...