About the Book
Lone-actor terrorism has unfortunately been on the rise in recent decades, causing major adverse societal effects in the United States and abroad. While lone-actor terrorists can be driven by a range of identifiable factors such as extremist views or availability of weapons, the process of becoming and identifying these individuals is deeply complicated.
Lone-Actor Terrorism: An Integrated Framework outlines the societal causes and
impacts of lone-actor terrorism from a multi-disciplinary, international perspective. Drawing together seasoned insights across clinical and forensic mental health, sociology, criminology, law, military and
intelligence, and security, this volume explores patterns common to lone-actor terrorists across four major sections: historical and case examples, clinical aspects, non-clinical professional and allied perspectives, and assessment and potential approaches to reducing the risk of lone-actor terrorism. Contributors describe both individual clinical factors affecting lone-actors, including developmental aspects, mental health variables, psychoactive drugs, psychometrics and linguists, along with
broader social factors such as propaganda and rhetoric, social media, and geographical considerations. This volume concludes with a review of the available threat and risk assessment tools applicable
to lone-actor terrorism cases and provides guidance for professionals seeking to reduce risk.
While there is no uniform approach to the concept of lone-actor terrorism, this edited volume provides a diverse yet authoritative overview for those interested in better understanding the threats of lone-actor terrorism and its professional response.
Table of Contents:
Contributor List Preface Foreword
Andrew McCabe and John Wyman Introduction: Scope of the Problem, Definitions and Concepts Jacob Holzer, Andrea J. Dew, Patricia R. Recupero, and Paul Gill Chapter 1: Historical Aspects and Evolution of Lone-Actor Violence Mark Hamm and Tammy Ayres Chapter 2: Case Reviews in Lone-Actor Terrorism Incidents Jacob Holzer, Olivia Zurek, and Lauren Simpson Chapter 3: Clinical Psychiatric and Neuropsychiatric Aspects of Lone-Actor Terrorism Robert P. Granacher, Jr., Danielle B. Kushner, and Jacob Holzer Chapter 4: Psychoactive Agents and Mental Disorders in Lone-Actor Terrorism Michael Arieli, Aviv Weinstein, Uri Ben Yaakov, Ronnie Berkovitz, Alina Poperno, Hagit Bonny-Noach, and Robert P. Granacher, Jr. Chapter 5: Developmental Aspects of Lone-Actor Terrorists Karl Mobbs, Gen Ignatius Tanaka, and Terry R. Bard Chapter 6: The Role of Psychometrics in Investigating Lone-Actor Terrorism Nancy P. Moczynski, Allen Schiller, Theodora Farah, and Eric Drogan Chapter 7: Understanding Lone-Actor Violence through Linguistic Analysis Isabelle W.J. van der Vegt, Bennett Kleinberg, and Paul Gill Chapter 8: Propaganda and Lone-Actor Terrorism Eric Drogan Chapter 9: Lone-Actor Mass Casualty Events and Linkages to Organized Violent Salafist-Jihadist Inspired Terror Groups Andrea J. Dew and Daniel Starr Chapter 10: The Internet and Social Media as an Enabling Force Patricia R. Recupero and Samara E. Rainey Chapter 11: Geographic Context: Domestic vs. International Lone-Actors Christopher Jasparro and Suzanne Levi-Sanchez Chapter 12: Means, Mechanisms, and Trends of Operationalizing Violence Christopher Winter, Ramón Spaaij, and Marilyn Price Chapter 13: Role of Forensic Mental Health and Lone-Actor Violence Ashley H. VanDercar, Ryan C. Wagoner, Phillip J. Resnick, Frank Farnham, and Emily Corner Chapter 14: An Ethics Analysis of Lone-Actor Terror and Society's Response Danielle B. Kushner and Philip J. Candilis Chapter 15: Law Enforcement Response to Lone-Actor Incidents at the Local through Federal Levels Douglas Brennan, Mark Concordia, and Michael Madden Chapter 16: Post-9/11 U.S. Military and Intelligence Approaches to Lone-Actors Corri Zoli Chapter 17: U.S. Legal Perspectives: Legislative, Intelligence, and Law-Enforcement Aspects Jeffrey H. Smith, Amy Jeffress, Christopher E. Beeler, and Tian Tian Xin Chapter 18: Pursuing Lone-Actor Terrorists: U.K. Counterterrorism Law and Policy Stuart Macdonald Chapter 19: Lone-Actor Terrorism: Understanding Online Indoctrination Steven Hassan, Jon Caven-Atack, Mansi J. Shah, and Simran Malhotra Chapter 20: Hatred and Grievance as Constructs in Lone-Actor Terrorism Jacob Holzer, Arya Shah, Eric Drogan, and Robert P. Granacher, Jr Chapter 21: Comparing Lone-Actor Terrorism to Other High-Threat Groups Jacob Holzer, Emily Threlkeld, William Costanza, Patricia R. Recupero, and Samara E. Rainey Chapter 22: A Risk Analysis Framework of Lone-Actor Terrorism Noémie Bouhana, Emily Corner, and Paul Gill Chapter 23: A Framework for Preempting Lone-Actor Terrorists During the Pre-Incident Phases Joshua Sinai Chapter 24: Threat Assessment: the TRAP-18 and Application to a Lone-Actor Terrorism Incident J. Reid Meloy and Jacob Holzer Chapter 25: Use of Threat and Risk Assessment Tools in the Evaluation of Lone-Actor Terrorists Hy Bloom, Reem Zaia, and Arya Shah Chapter 26: Developing a Risk Assessment and Intervention Strategy: Future Directions in Research and Practice Jacob Holzer, Andrea J. Dew, Patricia R. Recupero, and Paul Gill
About the Author :
Jacob C. Holzer, MD, LFAPA, is an Attending in Clinical and Forensic Psychiatry at McLean Hospital. Following service in the U.S. Air Force, he completed medical school and a medicine internship at Tufts University, psychiatry residency at Yale University, and fellowships in clinical neuroscience research at Yale and neuropsychiatry/behavioral neurology at Beth Israel Hospital/Harvard University. Since completing his training, he has provided
direct clinical care in neuropsychiatry, psychopharmacology, and geriatric psychiatry, in addition to consultation in forensic psychiatry and legal medicine. Dr. Holzer has consulted in public and private sectors with
attorneys, courts, businesses, and government agencies. His professional and academic focus has involved several areas of forensic psychiatry and risk management, including presentations at numerous academic and military sites and consultation in forensic mental health aspects of defense and national security. Andrea J. Dew, PhD, MALD, is Associate Professor of Strategy and Policy at the US Naval War College. She founded and directed the Centre on Irregular Warfare and Armed Groups at the US Naval War College, and is the inaugural Chair of Maritime Irregular Warfare. A graduate of Southampton University (UK), Dr. Dew's fellowships include Senior Counter-Terrorism Fellow for the Jebsen Center on Counter-Terrorism and Fellow for the Belfer Center at Harvard University. She has earned
an MALD and PhD from The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy in Boston. Patricia R. Recupero, JD, MD, is a Clinical Professor at the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University in the Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior based at Butler Hospital, Providence, RI. Dr. Recupero is President and CEO of Butler Hospital. She obtained her law degree at the Boston College Law School and her medical school training at Brown University. She obtained her psychiatry training at Brown University. She is board cert ified by the ABPN in Psychiatry,
Addictions Psychiatry, and Forensic Psychiatry. She is the former President of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law and the National Association of Psychiatric Health Systems. Dr. Recupero serves of the Council
of Psychiatry and Law of the American Psychiatry Association. She is the author of over 43 scientific publications and book chapters. Paul Gill, PhD, is Professor of Security and Crime Science at University College London. He has over 80 publications on the topic of terrorist behaviour including publications in leading psychology, criminology, political science and general science journals. He has conducted research funded by the Office for Naval Research, the Department of Homeland Security, Dstl, the European Union, the National Institute of Justice, CREST and MINERVA. A primary part of his role is to
translate academic research into practice. He has also provided dozens of briefings, lectures and trainings to high-level counter-terrorism practitioners in the U.K. and abroad in the area of violent extremist risk
assessment and management. Andrew McCabe is the former Deputy Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. He is also a faculty member of the Schar School of Policy and Government at George Mason University. John Wyman is a retired Special Agent for the Federal Bureau of Investigation. During his 23-year career, Mr. Wyman leveraged partnerships and interagency collaboration to mitigate threats and disrupt attacks. Most recently, Mr. Wyman served as Chief of the FBI's Behavioral Threat Assessment Center (BTAC), a multiagency, multidisciplinary task force focused on terrorism and targeted violence prevention. The BTAC uniquely leverages synergies of operational experience, training,
and research to address personally aggrieved and ideologically motivated offenders. Mr. Wyman is currently employed as a senior security manager for a multinational fortune 500 corporation. He continues to collaborate
with other subject matter experts to meet complex challenges related to terrorism, active assailants, workplace violence, insider threats, stalking, and harassment.
Review :
This accessible and well-researched volume brings together the best minds from multiple disciplines to argue for an 'integrated framework' approach to lone-actor terrorists. It is only by viewing similarities across cases, regardless of time or geography, that we can become better prepared for a future where the threat of lone-actor terrorism will only increase. A remarkable study, Lone-Actor Terrorism is an essential contribution to global security studies.
