| ID | 175731 |
| Title Proper | Lone Actor Terrorists |
| Other Title Information | A Residence-to-Crime Approach |
| Language | ENG |
| Author | Gill, Paul ; Marchment, Zoe ; Bouhana, Noémie |
| Summary / Abstract (Note) | Although there has recently been a considerable increase in research into lone actor terrorism, one of the main areas that remains understudied is that of target selection. The lack of empirically driven studies that can guide prevention measures is a notable oversight. This paper applies methods from environmental criminology to examine the residence-to-attack journeys of 122 lone terrorist acts in the U.S and Europe. The distance decay effect was evident, and significant differences were found between subgroups. Individuals were more likely to travel further if a) they were in the U.S, b) they had links to a wider network, c) they had a single-issue ideology, d) they attacked an iconic target, e) they attacked a symbolic building, or f) they used a bomb as their main weapon. A few case studies are discussed which highlight a need to conduct further research that considers the whole nodal network of an individual. The findings suggest that distance can be put forward as a constraining factor on lone actor target selection and provide support for the notion that the spatial decision making of terrorists is similar to traditional criminals. |
| `In' analytical Note | Terrorism and Political Violence Vol. 32, No.5-8; Jul-Dec 2020: p.1413-1438 |
| Journal Source | Terrorism and Political Violence Vol: 32 No 5-8 |
| Key Words | Target Selection ; Lone Actor Terrorism ; Distance Decay ; Environmental Criminology |