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The online behaviors of Islamic state terrorists in the United States

Joe Whittaker Orcid Logo

Criminology & Public Policy, Volume: 20, Issue: 1, Pages: 177 - 203

Swansea University Author: Joe Whittaker Orcid Logo

Abstract

This study offers an empirical insight into terrorists’ use of the Internet. Although criminology has previously been quiet on this topic, behavior-based studies can aid in understanding the interactions between terrorists and their environments. Using a database of 231 US-based Islamic State terror...

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Published in: Criminology & Public Policy
ISSN: 1538-6473 1745-9133
Published: Wiley 2021
Online Access: Check full text

URI: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa55896
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Abstract: This study offers an empirical insight into terrorists’ use of the Internet. Although criminology has previously been quiet on this topic, behavior-based studies can aid in understanding the interactions between terrorists and their environments. Using a database of 231 US-based Islamic State terrorists, four important findings are offered: 1) This cohort utilized the Internet heavily for the purposes of both networking with co-ideologues and learning about their intended activity. 2) There is little reason to believe that these online interactions are replacing offline ones, as has previously been suggested. Rather, terrorists tend to operate in both domains. 3) Online activity seems to be similar across the sample, regardless of the number of co-offenders or the sophistication of attack. 4) There is reason to believe that using the Internet may be an impediment to terrorists’ success.
Keywords: Radicalization; Terrorism; Online Radicalization; Extremism
College: Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
Issue: 1
Start Page: 177
End Page: 203