Evidence-Based Research

National Institutes of Health RePORTER Tool

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), National Institutes of Health (NIH) RePORTER tool allows users to search a repository of NIH-funded research projects and access publications and patents resulting from NIH funding. By leveraging this tool, users can identify what violence prevention work is being done across the country, and the latest research that is being conducted to prevent targeted violence and terrorism. 

Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate Research and Publications

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) supports DHS’ targeted violence and terrorism prevention efforts by conducting social science research to understand the evolving threat landscape. S&T works closely with our federal partners, local communities, academia, civil society, law enforcement, and first responders to improve public safety through research and development, technical expertise, technology development, and research and evaluation. Recent S&T research products that look at targeted violence and terrorism include “Online interventions for reducing hate speech and cyberhate: A systematic review”, “Targeted Violence: A Review of Literature on Radicalization and Mobilization”, and “Multiagency programs with police as a partner for reducing radicalization to violence”. 

National Institute of Justice: Domestic Radicalization and Terrorism Resources

Research on domestic radicalization and terrorism is conducted by the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) to support community prevention of targeted violence and terrorism. Evidence based practices are shared to increase resilience across communities and provide communities with information to develop community-wide responses.   

The Challenge of Detecting Ideologically Unattached Terrorists

This U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) National institute of Justice (NIJ) funded report by CNA explores the profiles of domestic terrorists without extremist ideologies, leveraging CNA’s new dataset: the Domestic Terrorism Offender Level Database (DTOLD). 

(October 2024)

Strengthening Mental Health and Resilience after Community Violence: A Summary of Lessons Learned from ReCAST

The U.S Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) ReCAST program supports youth and families impacted by violence and other trauma through implementation of evidence-based violence prevention, and community youth engagement programs, and linkages to trauma-informed behavioral health services. This report highlights lessons learned from SAMHSA’s ReCAST grant program to uplift the voices of communities impacted by violence as well as share strategies other communities can implement to promote healing, recovery and resiliency.

(November 2024)

Behavioral Threat Assessment and Management Programs: Practitioner-Informed Baseline Capabilities

This U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funded report by the National Counterterrorism Innovation, Technology, and Education Center (NCITE) details a work analysis to understand the core program-level elements of behavioral threat assessment and management (BTAM) implementation in support of BTAM research and capacity-enhancing efforts by the DHS Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) and DHS Office of Intelligence and Analysis (I&A) National Threat Evaluation and Reporting Program Office (NTER).

(September 2024)

Messaging Matters: How Extremists Influence Followers Online

This U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funded report by the National Counterterrorism Innovation, Technology, and Education Center (NCITE) details how extremist groups increasingly use online platforms and messaging to influence followers. This influence can take a variety of forms, including: recruiting and engaging members; highlighting social identities; increasing communication about extremist issues; deepening commitment to extremism; and inciting violent action.

(August 2024)

Report on Indicators of School Crime and Safety: 2021

A joint effort by the U.S. Department of Education (ED) National Center for Education Statistics and the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) Bureau of Justice Statistics, this annual report examines crime occurring in schools and colleges. This report presents data on crime at school from the perspectives of students, teachers, principals, and the general population from an array of sources—the National Crime Victimization Survey, the School Crime Supplement to the National Crime Victimization Survey, the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System, the School Survey on Crime and Safety, the National Teacher and Principal Survey, EDFacts, and the Campus Safety and Security Survey. The report covers topics such as victimization, bullying, school conditions, fights, weapons, the presence of security staff at school, availability and student use of drugs and alcohol, student perceptions of personal safety at school, and criminal incidents at postsecondary institutions.

(June 2022)

Public Safety and Violence Prevention Webpage

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) Public Safety and Violence Prevention (PSVP) project supports Goal 1 of the DHS Strategic Plan to prevent acts of terrorism and targeted violence by conducting evidence-based research and evaluation to understand an evolving threat landscape. This webpage includes information on community resilience, targeted violence and terrorism prevention, threat assessment, reintegration and rehabilitation, and systematic reviews.

(active webpage)

International Academic Partnerships for Science and Security (IAPSS) Review Issue #1

This International Academic Partnerships for Science and Security (IAPSS) Review magazine is funded by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS). 

This inaugural issue features pieces from scholars based in western democratic nations who are committed to international collaboration for science and security across two key areas: 1) understanding the nature of the threat that each of our countries experiences from terrorism and targeted violence, and 2) describing what countries are doing about it in terms of prevention.

The International Academic Partnerships for Science and Security (IAPSS) project is a global knowledge exchange hub that brings together academics, government and industry to advance the field of targeted violence and terrorism prevention (TVTP). It is led by the Center for Research and Evidence in Security Threats (CREST) and the National Counterterrorism Innovation, Technology, and Education Center (NCITE) (a DHS Center of Excellence). This international hub offers a platform to deepen knowledge exchange between countries and develop the next generation of leaders. 

(September 2024)