Violent Extremism/Terrorism by Lone Actors

How to use this data visualization? Click on the nodes for more information. For more detailed information on risk and protective factors, explore the full tool here.

Lone actors are defined as individuals who plan, prepare and execute their attacks with a high degree of autonomy and who are not active participants of established terrorist groups or organizations, although they may be inspired by them.

The tool on risk and protective factors provides information on two related aspects of violent extremism/terrorism by lone actors:

• The onset of violent extremism/terrorism by lone actors; and
• The spillover of violent extremism/terrorism by lone actors into other countries

More specifically, the tool examines the factors that make onset, spillover and recruitment related to intra-state armed conflict more likely (risk factors). The tool also examines the factors that make onset, spillover and recruitment related to intra-state armed conflict less likely (protective factors).

The tool on risk and protective factors provides information on the onset of violent extremism/terrorism by lone actors. More specifically, the tool examines the factors that make the onset of violent extremism/terrorism by lone actors more likely (risk factors). Currently the tool does not include information on the factors that make the onset of violent extremism/terrorism by lone actors less likely, as this literature review did not identify academic and policy studies that cover this topic.

Practitioners and policymakers can search the tool in many different ways, according to their specific purposes. For e.g., practitioners can search for different risk factors associated with the onset of violent extremism/terrorism by lone actors.

They can also search for specific keywords. For e.g., what does the literature say about the relationship between mental health and violent extremism/terrorism by lone actors.

In some cases, the tool may point to the need for additional research on certain topics. The search results may also point to broad patterns that should be confirmed by more context specific analysis. International practitioners and policymakers could therefore use the tool in a participatory way, as a basis for discussion with national stakeholders.