Engaging in Violence
Over the past several decades, a large amount of research has been conducted to understand and measure a person’s likelihood of engaging in violence. This work has yielded numerous measures for use by practitioners, several of which are listed below.
One major limitation shared by all of these measures is that they were developed in a particular sub-population distinct from which they are now being applied. Another important limitation is that these instruments cannot quantitatively predict a person’s likelihood of engaging in violence.
Thus, there is no single best instrument nor is there a single most relevant risk factor. Nonetheless, assessment should be done with a standardized measure, so mental health specialists are encouraged to become familiar with them and to seek additional training in their use.
Lone-Actor Characteristics
The researcher Alison Smith (2016) reviewed findings from several different research groups who investigated the persons who conducted lone-actor attacks. She identified the following characteristics and experiences:
- Having a history of criminal violence
- Having a violent extremist friend
- Being a member of a clique of like- minded individuals
- Having psychological issues
- Having less education
- Having trouble in romantic relationships
- Being distant from one’s family
- Being younger
- Having a criminal history
- Being a member of a violent extremist group for an extended period
- Being unemployed
- Having a lower socioeconomic status
- Being single
- Being a lone actor
- Being male
- Having trouble in platonic relationships
- Being a loner
- Having military experience
- Having been involved with a gang or delinquent peers
- Having a deep commitment to an extremist ideology
- Having sporadic work history
- Failing to achieve one’s aspirations
- Having been abused as a child
- Having been abused as an adult
Smith noted that all the relationships between individual risk factors and engaging or attempting to engage in extremist violence were tested independently of one another, and the result of the interaction of multiple factors remains unclear. In other words, to what degree and extent these factors amplify one another or sum to a total is unknown.
Lone-Actor Risk Factors
Considering only lone actors, the Indiana State University and University of Massachusetts Lowell studies identified 11 risk factors:
- Being male
- Being single
- Being unemployed
- Having a criminal record
- Living alone
- Having at least a bachelor’s degree
- Having received a diagnosis of schizophrenia or delusional disorder
- Having military experience
- Having personal and political grievances
- Having an enabler
- Being socially isolated
The Indiana State University study found that there are a series of commonalities associated with pathways to radicalization for lone wolf terrorists. The radicalization model indicates that lone wolf terrorism begins with a combination of personal and political grievances, followed by the identification of an enabler, followed by the broadcasting of terrorist intent, with a final triggering event, or the catalyst for terrorism.
The University of Massachusetts study found that there is little to distinguish between lone actor terrorists and solo mass murderers’ socio-demographic profiles, but their behaviors significantly differ with regards to the degree to which they interact with co-conspirators, their antecedent event behaviors, and the degree to which they leak information prior to the attack.