Terrorism Prevention Resources
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate's (S&T) investments have spurred growth in literature addressing terrorism prevention. S&T has delivered dozens of research products, fact sheets, evaluations, and capabilities to practitioners and the general public. This page will provide a full listing of all S&T terrorism prevention publications as they become available.
Publications
Understanding Engagement in Violent Extremism
- Improvements, Updates, and Support for the TEVUS Portal: Final Report (2018)
- Addicted to Hate: Identity Residual among Former White Supremacists (2017)
- Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) -- Developing a Research Roadmap (2017)
- Organizational [Dis]trust: Comparing Disengagement Among Former Left-Wing and Right-Wing Violent Extremists (2017)
- Countering Violent Extremism -- Developing a Research Roadmap: Literature Review (2016)
- Narratives of Childhood Adversity and Adolescent Misconduct as Precursors to Violent Extremism: A Life-Course Criminological Approach (2016)
- Overview: Profiles of Individual Radicalization in the United States-Foreign Fighters (PIRUS-FF) (2016)
- Countering Violent Extremism -- Developing a Research Roadmap: Stakeholder Recruitment and Engagement Plan (2015)
- Leaving the World of Hate: Life-Course Transitions and Self-Change (2015)
- County-level Correlates of Terrorism in the United States, 1990 to 2010 (2014)
- Disengagement Case Study: Ahmed’s Story (2014)
- Disengagement Case Study: Sarah’s Story (2014)
- Financial Crime and Material Support Schemes Linked to al-Qa’ida and Affiliated Movements (AQAM) in the United States: 1990 to June 2014 (2014)
- Patterns of Terrorism in the United States, 1970-2013 (2014)
- Profiles of Perpetrators of Terrorism in the United States, 1970-2013 (2014)
- U.S. Attitudes Toward Terrorism and Counterterrorism: Examining Results From a Four-Wave Survey Conducted Between September 2012 and July 2014 (2014)
- U.S. Attitudes Toward Terrorism and Counterterrorism: Reporting Terrorism-related Activity Overview (2014)
- Violence Perpetrated by Supporters of al-Qa’ida and Affiliated Movements (AQAM): Fatal Attacks and Violent Plots in the United States (2014)
- An Overview of Bombing and Arson Attacks by Environmental and Animal Rights Extremists in the United States, 1995-2010 (2013)
- From Extremist to Terrorist: Identifying the Characteristics of Communities where Perpetrators Live and Pre-Incident Activity Occurs Prior to Attacks (2013)
- Report on Roles and Functions in Terrorist Groups as They Relate to the Likelihood of Exit (2013)
- U.S. Attitudes Toward Terrorism and Counterterrorism (2013)
- U.S. Attitudes Toward Terrorism and Counterterrorism: Before and After the April 2013 Boston Marathon Bombings (2013)
- Understanding Lone-actor Terrorism: A Comparative Analysis with Violent Hate Crimes and Group-based Terrorism (2013)
- Arc of Terrorist Involvement (2012)
- Building Resilience to Violent Extremism Among Somali‐Americans in Minneapolis‐St. Paul (2012)
- Effects and Effectiveness of Law Enforcement Intelligence Measures to Counter Homegrown Terrorism: A Case Study on the Fuerzas Armadas de Liberación Nacional (FALN) (2012)
- Law Enforcement Efforts to Counter Violent Extremism: Lessons Learned from Past Cases (2012)
- Returning to the Fight: What the Literature on Criminal Recidivism Can Contribute to our Understanding of Terrorist Recidivism (2012)
- Tracing the Motivations and Antecedent Behaviors of Lone-Actor Terrorism, A Routine Activity Analysis of Five Lone-Actor Terrorist Events (2012)
- Organizational Dynamics of Far‐Right Hate Groups in the United States: Comparing Violent to Non‐Violent Organizations (2011)
- Patterns of Intervention in Federal Terrorism Cases (2011)
- Reactions to the War on Terrorism: Ethnic Group Differences in the 2007 Pew Poll of American Muslims (2010)
- U.S. Polls: Public Opinion and Right‐Wing Extremism (2010)
- Developing An Empirical Understanding of Improvised Explosive Devices: A Social and Behavioral Science Perspective (2009)
- Living in America as a Muslim After 9/11: Poll Trends 2001‐2007 (2009)
Developing Local Terrorism Prevention Capabilities
- Countering Violent Extremism -- The Application of Risk Assessment Tools in the Criminal Justice and Rehabilitation Process: Literature Review (2018)
- Leveraging a Targeted Violence Prevention Program to Prevent Violent Extremism: A Formative Evaluation in Los Angeles (2018)
- Assessment Report: Current Capabilities of 2-1-1 Call Centers and Local Service Providers (2017)
- Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) -- Developing a Research Roadmap (2017)
- Countering Violent Extremism -- The Use of Assessment Tools for Measuring Violence Risk: Literature Review (2017)
- Data Collection Plan: Text-Enabled CVE Gatekeeper Intervention Help-Line & Referral System (2017)
- Dissemination Plan: Text-enabled CVE Gatekeeper Intervention Help-Line & Referral System (2017)
- Countering Violent Extremism -- Developing a Research Roadmap: Literature Review (2016)
- Best Practices for Developing Resilient Communities and Addressing Violent Extremism (2015)
- Countering Violent Extremism -- Developing a Research Roadmap: Stakeholder Recruitment and Engagement Plan (2015)
- Lessons Learned from Mental Health and Education: Identifying Best Practices for Addressing Violent Extremism (2015)
- Reframing CVE as a Multidisciplinary Approach to Promoting Community Safety (2015)
- Supporting A Multidisciplinary Approach to Addressing Violent Extremism: What Role Can Education Professionals Play? (2015)
- Supporting A Multidisciplinary Approach to Addressing Violent Extremism: What Role Can Mental Health Professionals Play? (2015)
- Supporting A Multidisciplinary Approach to Violent Extremism: The Integration of Mental Health in Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) and What Law Enforcement Needs to Know (2015)
- Building Resilience to Violent Extremism Among Somali‐Americans in Minneapolis‐St. Paul (2012)
Evaluating Terrorism Prevention Programs and Interventions
- Countering Violent Extremism -- The Application of Risk Assessment Tools in the Criminal Justice and Rehabilitation Process: Literature Review (2018)
- Countering Violent Extremism -- The Use of Assessment Tools for Measuring Violence Risk: Literature Review (2017)
- International Expert Engagement and Analysis of Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) Evaluations (2017)
- Evaluation of the Greater Boston Countering Violent Extremism Pilot Program Project Report (2016)
Fact Sheets & News
Fact Sheets
- Systematic Reviews of Terrorism Prevention Research Fact Sheet
DHS S&T, in coordination with the Five Country Research and Development (5RD) Terrorism Prevention Network, identified a need to conduct systematic reviews of prior research and evaluations. - Terrorism Prevention Grant Evaluation Fact Sheet
Past local terrorism prevention programs did not undergo robust, independent evaluation. To redress this gap, at the request of the DHS Office of Terrorism Prevention Partnerships (OTPP), the Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) was looked upon to collaborate with subject matter experts in the field to study these programs’ effectiveness in delivering information about what does and does not work in the prevention space. - Terrorism Prevention Research Fact Sheet
Terrorism poses a great risk to societies worldwide, and challenges persist in our ability to prevent its threat. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) directly supports DHS’ terrorism prevention mission, conducting applied research to deliver new capabilities and evaluating program and policy impacts to build the evidence base of what works.
News
- S&T Develops Terrorism Prevention Research Findings Dashboard
Sept. 28, 2018 -- To counter the continually growing and changing threat of violent extremism, DHS S&T has developed a free and publicly accessible research findings dashboard that hosts more than 1,500 cataloged terrorism prevention and countering violent extremism research documents. This dashboard is an agile, multi‑disciplinary knowledge‑based capability that helps to systematically develop a landscape of the existing research in this topic area across multiple disciplines, including social and behavioral science. - S&T Develops the First Line of Defense Against Acts of Targeted Violence
Aug. 28, 2018 -- Since 2010, the U.S. government has invested more than $20 million into understanding all forms of radicalization to violence, as well as effective prevention and intervention measures. Federal agencies such as the DHS Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) and the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) are at the forefront of this work. - Countering Violent Extremism Program Provides Opportunity for First Responders
Aug. 23, 2016 -- CVE opportunities are available for different types of emergency responders. This includes accessing research, expanding the capacity for intervention and facilitating communication.
Capabilities
- Managed the development of the Terrorist and Extremist Violence in the U.S. (TEVUS) database reporting of behavioral, geographic, and temporal characteristics of extremist violence in the U.S. dating from 1970.
- Funded the UMD START program.
- Managed the development of the Profiles of Individual Radicalization in the U.S. (PIRUS) database containing individual-level information on backgrounds, attributes, and radicalization processes of more than 1,800 extremists in the U.S. This database also contains detailed information on U.S.-based foreign terrorist fighters.