Recruitment and Radicalization Among US Far-Right Terrorists
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Recruitment and Radicalization among US Far-Right Terrorists Report to the Office of University Programs, Science and Technology Directorate, U.S. Department of Homeland Security Published November 2016 National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism A Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Center of Excellence Led by the University of Maryland 8400 Baltimore Ave., Suite 250 • College Park, MD 20742 • 301.405.6600 www.start.umd.edu National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism A Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Center of Excellence About This Report The authors of this report are Pete Simi, Associate Professor, Steven Windisch, graduate assistant, Karyn Sporer, graduate assistant. Questions about this report should be directed to Pete Simi at [email protected]. This report is part of the National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (START) project, “Recruitment and Radicalization among U.S. Far-Right Terrorists,” led by Pete Simi, University of Nebraska Omaha. This research was supported by the Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate’s Office of University Programs through Award Number 2012-ST-061-CS0001, Center for the Study of Terrorism and Behavior (CSTAB) 2.1 made to START to investigate the understanding and countering of terrorism within the United States. This project examines the application of life-course criminological theory to the study of violent extremism; the role of childhood trauma and adolescent misconduct has on extremist participation; risk factors to violent extremist entry; and barriers that constrain the likelihood of mass casualty violence. The views and conclusions contained in this document are those of the authors and should not be interpreted as necessarily representing the official policies, either expressed or implied, of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security or START. About START The National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (START) is supported in part by the Science and Technology Directorate of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security through a Center of Excellence program led by the University of Maryland. START uses state‐of‐the‐art theories, methods and data from the social and behavioral sciences to improve understanding of the origins, dynamics and social and psychological impacts of terrorism. For more information, contact START at [email protected] or visit www.start.umd.edu. Citations To cite this report, please use this format: Simi, Pete, and Steven Windisch, Karyn Sporer. “Recruitment and Radicalization among US Far Right Terrorists.” College Park, MD: START, 2016. Recruitment and Radicalization among US Far-Right Terrorists National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism A Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Center of Excellence Contents Executive Summary ............................................................................................................................. 1 Introduction ............................................................................................................................................ 5 Types of Right-Wing Extremists ........................................................................................ 6 Conceptual Definitions and Scope of the Study ............................................................. 7 Significance and Relevance .................................................................................................. 7 Theoretical Framework .................................................................................................................... 8 Violent Extremism as Normal Crime .............................................................................. 10 Overview of Life Course Criminology ............................................................................ 12 Developmental Life Course Theories ............................................................... 14 Age-grade Theory of Informal Social Control ............................................... 17 Cognitive Transformation Process ................................................................... 20 Advantages of Applying Life Course Criminology to Violent Extremism ......... 22 Future Directions in Life Course Criminology ............................................................ 24 Conclusions .............................................................................................................................. 25 Data and Methods .............................................................................................................................. 26 Sampling Procedures ............................................................................................................ 26 Snowball Sampling .................................................................................................. 27 Data Collection ........................................................................................................................ 28 Life History Interviews .......................................................................................... 28 Open-source coding ................................................................................................ 29 Specific Methodological Approaches .............................................................................. 30 Thematic Assessment............................................................................................ 30 Sample Characteristics ............................................................................ 30 Analysis and Coding Process ................................................................. 30 Childhood Trauma and Adolescent Misconduct as Precursors to Violent Extremism ........................................ 31 Sample Characteristics ........................................................................... 32 Analysis and Coding Process ................................................................ 33 Circumplex Model of Affect .................................................................................. 34 Recruitment and Radicalization among US Far-Right Terrorists National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism A Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Center of Excellence Sample Characteristics ............................................................................ 34 Analysis and Coding Process................................................................. 35 Overall Methodological Strengths and Limitations .................................................. 37 Results ....................................................................................................................................... 38 Report 1: Thematic Assessment ................................................................................. 38 Family Socialization Prior to Entering Violent Extremism...................... 38 Ideological Socialization Strategies ................................................... 39 Linguistic Devices ....................................................................... 40 Blatant Racism .............................................................................. 42 Subtle Racism............................................................................... 43 Entry into Violent Extremism ............................................................................. 44 Pushes and Pulls into Violent Extremism ........................................ 45 Searching for Belonging and Acceptance ........................... 46 The Thrill of the Forbidden ..................................................... 49 Protection ....................................................................................... 51 Quest for Significance ................................................................ 52 Violent Extremists Recruitment......................................................................... 56 Extremist Taxonomy ................................................................................ 56 Recruitment into Violent Extremism ................................................. 58 Target Population ...................................................................... 59 Marketing Strategies .................................................................. 61 Fliers, Stickers and Leafleting .................................. 62 Face-to-Face Recruitment ......................................... 64 WPM Music Scene ....................................................................... 67 Subculture of Violence ........................................................................................... 70 Street Codes ................................................................................................. 71 Violence as a Rite of Passage ................................................................. 74 Commitment and Status ........................................................... 75 Disciplinary and Policing Strategies .................................... 76 Recruitment and Radicalization among US Far-Right Terrorists National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism A Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Center of Excellence Emotional Experiences during a fight ............................................... 78 Situations When Violence Goes Too Far ..........................................