Randy Borum

Radicalization into Violent Extremism II: A Review of Conceptual Models and Empirical Research

Randy Borum — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 16:44:36 PST

Over the past decade, analysts have proposed several frameworks to explain the process of radicalization into violent extremism (RVE). These frameworks are based primarily on rational, conceptual models which are neither guided by theory nor derived from systematic research. This article reviews recent (post-9/11) conceptual models of the radicalization process and recent (post-9/11) empirical studies of RVE. It emphasizes the importance of distinguishing between ideological radicalization and terrorism involvement, though both issues deserve further empirical inquiry.Finally, it summarizes some recent RVE-related research efforts, identifies seven things that social science researchers and operational personnel still need to know about violent radicalization, and offers a set of starting assumptions to move forward with a research agenda that might help to thwart tomorrow's terrorists.

Radicalization into Violent Extremism I: A Review of Social Science Theories

Randy Borum — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 16:44:35 PST

In discourse about countering terrorism, the term "radicalization" is widely used, but remains poorly defined. To focus narrowly on ideological radicalization risks implying that radical beliefs are a proxy—or at least a necessary precursor—for terrorism, though we know this not to be true.Different pathways and mechanisms of terrorism involvement operate in different ways for different people at different points in time and perhaps in different contexts. This article explores the problems in defining radicalization and radicalism, and suggests that radicalization—and more specifically, involvement in terrorism—might best be viewed as a set of diverse processes. It goes on to review several potentially promising theories that might support further study of those processes, including social movement theory, social psychology, and conversion theory. Finally, it describes some possible frameworks for understanding how the processes might facilitate terrorism-related behavior.

Rethinking Radicalization

Randy Borum — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 16:44:33 PST

Efforts to focus on radicalization and radical ideologies in order to get ahead of the terrorism problem have faced a serious challenge: Most radicals did not (and do not) engage in terrorism, and many terrorists did not (and do not) “radicalize” in any traditional sense. Adherence to radical beliefs is not irrelevant to countering terrorism or advancing broader global security interests, but fanatically embracing an ideology is neither a proxy for, nor a necessary precursor to terrorism. Conflating the two concepts undermines our ability to effectively counter either of them.

Profiling hazards: Profiling in counterterrorism and homeland security

Randy Borum — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 07:48:29 PST

Comparing outcomes of major models of police responses to mental health emergencies

Randy Borum — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 07:42:33 PST

OBJECTIVE: The study compared three models of police responses to incidents involving people thought to have mental illnesses to determine how often specialized professionals responded and how often they were able to resolve cases without arrest. METHODS: Three study sites representing distinct approaches to police handling of incidents involving persons with mental illness were examined-Birmingham, Alabama; and Knoxville and Memphis, Tennessee. At each site, records were examined for approximately 100 police dispatch calls for "emotionally disturbed persons" to examine the extent to which the specially trained professionals responded. To determine differences in case dispositions, records were also examined for 100 incidents at each site that involved a specialized response. RESULTS: Large differences were found across sites in the proportion of calls that resulted in a specialized response-28 percent for Birmingham, 40 percent for Knoxville, and 95 percent for Memphis. One reason for the differences was the availability in Memphis of a crisis drop-off center for persons with mental illness that had a no-refusal policy for police cases. All three programs had relatively low arrest rates when a specialized response was made, 13 percent for Birmingham, 5 percent for Knoxville, and 2 percent for Memphis. Birmingham's program was most likely to resolve an incident on the scene, whereas Knoxville's program predominantly referred individuals to mental health specialists. CONCLUSIONS: Our data strongly suggest that collaborations between the criminal justice system, the mental health system, and the advocacy community plus essential services reduce the inappropriate use of U.S. jails to house persons with acute symptoms of mental illness.

Detection of Deception in Law Enforcement Applicants: A Preliminary Investigation

Randy Borum et al. — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 06:03:29 PST

Using the MMPIand the IPI, the present study examined the differences in psychometric defensiveness between two groups of law enforcement applicants: applicants identified as being deceptive and a comparison group of candidates for whom no deception was indicated. Significant differences were found on the traditional validity (minimization) scales for both instruments as well as several supplemental scales and indexes from the MMPI. A new index (Es-K) from the MMPI showed a highly significant difference between groups and good classification accuracy. The results suggest that deceptive applicants show more defensiveness on psychometric testing and that test results may assist in raising the index of suspicion for detecting deception in law enforcement applicants.

Behavioral Science Guidelines for Assessing Insider Threats

Denise Bulling et al. — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 04:48:35 PST

This brochure presents a framework to view threats made by an insider that are targeted or intentional (as opposed to negligent or unintentional) and that involve some degree of deliberation (as opposed to those that may be considered impulsive). The framework was developed with the assumption that it must:
Be applicable for both anonymous and known subjects
Recognize interactions and patterns of behavior
Allow for investigation with whatever information is immediately available
Recognize that behaviors or warning activity may shift, decrease, or be emboldened by protective or organizational actions

Insider attacks are often handled internal to an organization and are under-reported to law enforcement agencies. This has limited the sample of insider threats available for research in this area. Most of the available literature related to insider threats exists in areas outside of behavioral science. It is generally conceptual in nature rather than data driven and often focuses on threats to information systems.

The field of threat assessment represents a blending of behavioral science, intelligence, and law enforcement strategies. It evolved from practices used to assess and manage dangerousness (potential risk for violence).

Seven Pillars of Small War Power

Randy Borum — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 08:24:01 PDT

We may need to modify our traditional “center of gravity” analysis to accommodate multiple centers of gravity in an asymmetric diffusion of power. Insurgencies and movements of resistance are dynamic, living systems powered by social dynamics.65 Successful insurgent movements leverage their available sources of power to gain the sympathy of the broader population and to mobilize a small cadre of armed forces. For the insurgent, these dynamics—the power of rising expectations, the power of the people, the power of the underdog, the power of agility, the power of resistance, the power of security, and the power of belonging—become the pillars of small war power. For the counterinsurgent, each of these pillars presents both a potential hazard and an exploitable vulnerability.

Crisis Intervention Teams may prevent arrests of people with mental illnesses

Randy Borum et al. — Fri, 22 Oct 2010 10:42:00 PDT

Historically, as many as 7–10% of US police contacts have involved persons with mental illnesses, with a disproportionate amount of these encounters resulting in arrest, usually for minor offenses. Crisis Intervention Teams (CIT) were created, and have proliferated, to ameliorate this problem by offering a specialized response and serving – at least informally – as a liaison between mental health services and police departments. Because preventing unnecessary arrests is one of CIT’s principal objectives, this study examined the arrest rates of persons with mental illnesses and the number of arrests that might have been prevented after the implementation of a CIT program in a large county in Central Florida. The arrest rate after CIT implementation was found to be very low and even declined across time providing evidence that CIT programs may indeed be useful in reducing discretionary arrests among persons with mental illnesses.

The Science of Interpersonal Trust

Randy Borum — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 13:25:56 PDT

Interpersonal trust - a willingness to accept vulnerability or risk based on expectations regarding another person’s behavior – is a vitally important concept for human behavior, affecting our interactions both with adversaries and competitors as well as with allies and friends. Indeed, interpersonal trust could be said to be responsible in part for nudging competitors towards becoming allies, or – if betrayed – leading friends to become adversaries.

This document summarizes the state of the art (and science) in interpersonal trust research, describing how researchers define trust and its components, exploring a range of theories about how people decide whether to trust, and describing how trust may work differently for some people than for others. This primer will not critique all existing studies and their methods. It is written as a relatively non-technical overview for individuals whose personal success depends on the development of trust and for researchers seeking to better understand how trust has been studied and operationalized, to date.

What Can Be Done About School Shootings?: A Review of the Evidence

Randy Borum et al. — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 14:57:12 PST

School shootings have generated great public concern and fostered a widespread impression that schools are unsafe for many students; this article counters those misapprehensions by examining empirical evidence of school and community violence trends and reviewing evidence on best practices for preventing school shootings. Many of the school safety and security measures deployed in response to school shootings have little research support, and strategies such as zero tolerance discipline and student profiling have been widely criticized as unsound practices. Threat assessment is identified as a promising strategy for violence prevention that merits further study. The article concludes with an overview of the need for schools to develop crisis response plans to prepare for and mitigate such rare events.

Psychology of Terrorism

Randy Borum — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 11:33:00 PDT

Understanding Terrorist Psychology

Randy Borum — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 11:18:15 PDT

Interview and Interrogation: A Perspective and Update from the USA

Randy Borum et al. — Tue, 05 May 2009 06:16:56 PDT

With a renewed interest in, and reliance on, human intelligence (HUMINT), an opportunity exists for the USG to re-examine its policies and practices for interviewing and interrogation to discern whether or not it is relying on best practices that are consistent with American values, international human rights and legal requirements. It is clear that, to protect national security interests, the USG is now – and for the foreseeable future will be – required to gather information form human sources either for purposes of intelligence gathering or for investigations that may lead to criminal prosecution. Broadly speaking, the purpose of these interviews and interrogations is to gather accurate, useful, timely information that furthers security, intelligence, and investigative interests. In this chapter, we review a few recent developments in US law and policy for this vital security-related function and describe a very promising initiative that seeks to chart a course for the future of interrogation, particularly in intelligence-gathering contexts.

Insights from Past Experience with Human Dynamics in Military Operations

Randy Borum — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 18:53:49 PDT

Getting Un-Stuck

Randy Borum — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 19:36:53 PDT

The Science of Excellence

Randy Borum — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 19:35:33 PDT

Mass Transit Systems

Randy Borum et al. — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 07:40:42 PDT

Crisis Intervention Teams (CIT): Considerations for knowledge transfer

Larry Thompson et al. — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 07:35:56 PDT

The psychology of leaking national security secrets: Implications for homeland security

Randy Borum et al. — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 07:27:37 PDT