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Lone Wolf (terrorism)
A lone wolf attack, or lone actor attack, is a particular kind of mass murder, committed in a public setting by an individual who plans and commits the act on their own. In the United States, such attacks are usually committed with firearms. In other countries, knives are sometimes used to commit mass stabbings. Although definitions vary, most databases require a minimum of four victims (including injured) for the event to be considered a mass murder. Lone actor attacks have become the subject of academic research. Studies have found that some lone actor attacks are committed because of personal grievances and a desire for revenge, while others are acts of terrorism, intended to induce fear and influence the way people think. The academic definition of lone actor mass shootings means they occur in a public setting and excludes the killing of multiple people if those deaths occur during the commission of other crimes, such as bank robberies or during gang warfare. The definition ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mass Murder
Mass murder is the act of murdering a number of people, typically simultaneously or over a relatively short period of time and in close geographic proximity. The United States Congress defines mass killings as the killings of three or more people during an event with no "cooling-off period" between the homicides. A mass murder typically occurs in a single location where one or more people kill several others. A mass murder may be committed by individuals or organizations whereas a spree killing is committed by one or two individuals. Mass murderers differ from spree killers, who kill at two or more locations with almost no time break between murders and are not defined by the number of victims, and serial killers, who may kill people over long periods of time. The incidents of mass shootings are continuing to increase. By terrorist organizations Many terrorist groups in recent times have used the tactic of killing many victims to fulfill their political aims. Such incidents h ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
International Centre For Counter-Terrorism
The International Centre for Counter-Terrorism (ICCT) is an independent think tank providing multidisciplinary policy advice and practical support focused on prevention and the rule of law, two important parts of effective counter-terrorism work. ICCT's work focuses on themes at the intersection of countering violent extremism and criminal justice sector responses, as well as human rights related aspects of counter-terrorism. The major project areas concern countering violent extremism, rule of law, foreign fighters, country and regional analysis, rehabilitation, civil society engagement and victims' voices. Functioning as a nucleus within the international counter-terrorism network, ICCT connects experts, policymakers, civil society actors and practitioners from different fields by providing a platform for productive collaboration, practical analysis, and exchange of experiences and expertise, with the ultimate aim of identifying innovative and comprehensive approaches to prevent ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Selection Bias
Selection bias is the bias introduced by the selection of individuals, groups, or data for analysis in such a way that proper randomization is not achieved, thereby failing to ensure that the sample obtained is representative of the population intended to be analyzed. It is sometimes referred to as the selection effect. The phrase "selection bias" most often refers to the distortion of a statistical analysis, resulting from the method of collecting samples. If the selection bias is not taken into account, then some conclusions of the study may be false. Types Sampling bias Sampling bias is systematic error due to a non-random sample of a population, causing some members of the population to be less likely to be included than others, resulting in a biased sample, defined as a statistical sample of a population (or non-human factors) in which all participants are not equally balanced or objectively represented. It is mostly classified as a subtype of selection bias, sometimes sp ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mediation (statistics)
In statistics, a mediation model seeks to identify and explain the mechanism or process that underlies an observed relationship between an independent variable and a dependent variable via the inclusion of a third hypothetical variable, known as a mediator variable (also a mediating variable, intermediary variable, or intervening variable). Rather than a direct causal relationship between the independent variable and the dependent variable, a mediation model proposes that the independent variable influences the mediator variable, which in turn influences the dependent variable. Thus, the mediator variable serves to clarify the nature of the relationship between the independent and dependent variables. Mediation analyses are employed to understand a known relationship by exploring the underlying mechanism or process by which one variable influences another variable through a mediator variable.Cohen, J.; Cohen, P.; West, S. G.; Aiken, L. S. (2003) ''Applied multiple regression/c ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Stressor
A stressor is a chemical or biological agent, environmental condition, external stimulus or an event seen as causing stress to an organism. Psychologically speaking, a stressor can be events or environments that individuals might consider demanding, challenging, and/or threatening individual safety.Deckers, Lambert (2018). Motivation Biological, Psychological, and Environmental. New York, NY: Routledge. pp. 208-212. . Events or objects that may trigger a stress response may include: * environmental stressors ( hypo or hyper-thermic temperatures, elevated sound levels, over-illumination, overcrowding) * daily "stress" events (e.g., traffic, lost keys, money, quality and quantity of physical activity) * life changes (e.g., divorce, bereavement) * workplace stressors (e.g., high job demand vs. low job control, repeated or sustained exertions, forceful exertions, extreme postures, office clutter) * chemical stressors (e.g., tobacco, alcohol, drugs) * social stressor (e.g., socie ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Offender Profiling
Offender profiling, also known as criminal profiling, is an investigative strategy used by law enforcement agencies to identify likely suspects and has been used by investigators to link cases that may have been committed by the same perpetrator. Multiple crimes may be linked to a specific offender and the profile may be used to predict the identified offender's future actions. In the 1980s, most researchers believed offender profiling was relevant only to sex crimes, like serial rape or sexual homicide, but since the late 1990s research has been published to support its application to arson (1998), and then later terrorism (2000) and burglary (2017). Theory Psychological profiling is described as a method of suspect identification which seeks to identify a person's mental, emotional, and personality characteristics based on things done or left at the crime scene. There are two major assumptions made when it comes to offender profiling: behavioral consistency and homology. Beha ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mental Disorder
A mental disorder, also referred to as a mental illness or psychiatric disorder, is a behavioral or mental pattern that causes significant distress or impairment of personal functioning. Such features may be persistent, relapsing and remitting, or occur as single episodes. Many disorders have been described, with signs and symptoms that vary widely between specific disorders. Such disorders may be diagnosed by a mental health professional, usually a clinical psychologist or psychiatrist. The causes of mental disorders are often unclear. Theories may incorporate findings from a range of fields. Mental disorders are usually defined by a combination of how a person behaves, feels, perceives, or thinks. This may be associated with particular regions or functions of the brain, often in a social context. A mental disorder is one aspect of mental health. Cultural and religious beliefs, as well as social norms, should be taken into account when making a diagnosis. Services are b ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Inspire (magazine)
''Inspire'' is an English-language online magazine published by the organization al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP). The magazine is one of the many ways AQAP uses the Internet to reach its audience. Numerous international and domestic extremists motivated by radical interpretations of Islam have been influenced by the magazine and, in some cases, used its bomb-making instructions in their attempts to carry out attacks. The magazine is an important brand-building tool, not just of AQAP, but of all al-Qaeda branches, franchises and affiliates. History The magazine is aimed at young British and American readers and provided translated messages from Osama bin Laden. The first issue appeared in July 2010. Various articles in the second issue encouraged terror attacks on U.S. soil, suggesting that followers open fire at a Washington, D.C. restaurant or use a pickup truck to "mow down" pedestrians. The October 2010 issue included an article penned by Samir Khan, in which he wro ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Samir Khan
Samir ibn Zafar Khan (December 25, 1985 – September 30, 2011) was a Saudi Arabian naturalized U.S. citizen, terrorist, and the editor and publisher of ''Inspire'' magazine, an English-language online magazine reported to be published by the Islamic terrorist group al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP). He was killed in a drone strike in Yemen together with Anwar al-Awlaki. Early life Khan was born in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to parents of Pakistani descent and grew up in Queens, New York, U.S. He also spent some of his teenage years living in Westbury, New York. He graduated from W. Tresper Clarke High School in 2003 where he wrote for the school newspaper, participated in cheerleading and was an active member of the glee club. According to his classmates, he refused to recite Pledge of Allegiance and blamed Americans for the September 11 attacks. Khan's father, Zafar Khan, is an information technology executive. The family moved to Charlotte, North Carolina, in 2004. He lived ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Boston Marathon Bombing
The Boston Marathon bombing was a domestic terrorist attack that took place during the annual Boston Marathon on April 15, 2013. Two terrorists, brothers Dzhokhar Tsarnaev and Tamerlan Tsarnaev, planted two homemade pressure cooker bombs, which detonated 14 seconds and apart at 2:49p.m., near the finish line of the race, killing three people and injuring hundreds of others, including 17 who lost limbs. Three days later, on April 18, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) released images of two suspects. They were later identified as the Tsarnaev brothers, who were Chechen Kyrgyzstani-Americans. Following their identification, at 10:35p.m., they killed an MIT policeman. At 11:00p.m., they kidnapped a man in his car. At 12:15a.m., on April 19, the man escaped. At 12:45a.m., they had a shootout with the police in nearby Watertown, during which two officers were severely injured (one of whom, DJ Simmonds, died a year later). Tamerlan was shot several times, and his brother Dz ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Leaderless Resistance
Leaderless resistance, or phantom cell structure, is a Rebellion, social resistance strategy in which small, independent groups (Clandestine cell system, covert cells), or individuals (a solo cell is called a "Lone wolf (terrorism), lone wolf"), challenge an established institution such as a law, economic system, social order, or government. Leaderless resistance can encompass anything from nonviolence, non-violent protest and civil disobedience to vandalism, terrorism, and other violent activity. Leaderless cells lack vertical command links and so operate without hierarchical command, but they have a common goal that links them to the social movement from which their ideology was learned.Joosse, Paul. 2007. "Leaderless Resistance and Ideological Inclusion: the Case of the Earth Liberation Front. Terrorism and Political Violence 19(3): 351-368. Leaderless resistance has been employed by a wide range of movements, including animal-liberation movement, animal-liberation, radical env ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Army Of God (USA)
Army of God (AOG) is an American Christian terrorist organization, members of which have perpetrated anti-abortion violence. According to the Department of Justice and Department of Homeland Security's joint Terrorism Knowledge Base, the Army of God is an active underground terrorist organization in the United States. In addition to numerous property crimes, the group has committed acts of kidnapping, attempted murder, and murder. The AOG was formed in 1982 and, while sharing a common ideology and tactics, the group's members claim that they rarely communicate with each other; this is known more formally as leaderless resistance. The group forbids those who wish to "take action against babykilling abortionists" from discussing their plans with anyone in advance. Actions The earliest documented incidence of the Army of God being involved with anti-abortion activity occurred in 1982. Three men stating that they were the "Army Of God" kidnapped Hector Zevallos, a doctor who perfor ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
