good research questions on terrorism

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• A Research Guide
• Research Paper Topics

40 Terrorism Research Paper Topics

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• How does the development of technologies affect the tactics of terrorists?
• The tragedy of 9/11
• The Incels movement: a growing danger?
• Terrorism and religion
• Using minors and vulnerable social groups in terrorist acts
• The role of terrorism in the creation and development of Israel
• The most powerful international terrorism groups: Boko Haram, Al Qaeda and others
• Partisan movements and terrorism
• The history of terrorism
• What methods are justified when fighting terrorism?
• Hiroshima bombing: can it be considered terrorism?
• Terrorism in media and films
• The process of radicalization. The creation of terrorist groups
• Motivations of terrorist groups
• Terrorism and Mafia: similarities, differences and cooperation
• Terrorism as a tool for politics. Can it be used to benefit some particular political forces?
• Guantanamo Bay Detention Camp: was it justified?
• Suicide bombing and psychological conditioning of suicide bombers
• Bioterrorism
• Terrorism and human trafficking
• Terrorism threat and the international travel safety
• Is non-violent response to terrorism possible?
• The ways to work with society to prevent terroristic acts
• The first psychological aid to the victims or witnesses of terrorist act
• Why terrorists use hostages? What shall the potential hostages do to survive?
• The main differences between political and non-political terrorism
• The recruiting strategies of terrorists
• Counterterrorism all over the world
• The most prominent terrorist leaders
• The most famous counterterrorist operations
• What can society do to prevent terrorism?
• The future of terrorism. May it evolve?
• The process of taking responsibility for terrorist act: why and how the terrorists do this?
• The model of Israel society. Is it good for fighting terrorism?
• Terrorism as international crime
• Nuclear terrorism
• Terrorism and blackmailing
• Is it possible to exit a terrorist cell?
• Ideological terrorism
• The different definitions of terrorism and the cause of their creation

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Counterterrorism and Homeland Security

Led by the Transnational Threats Project , the International Security Program , Defending Democratic Institutions , and the Arleigh A. Burke Chair in Strategy , CSIS provides strategic thinking on the range of efforts to counter terrorist groups and their methods across the world.

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Assessing Israel’s Strike on Iran

In its April 19 attack on Iran, Israel avoided further escalation, while also threatening Iran's most sensitive locations. New CSIS analysis shows how it walked the tightrope.

Commentary by Alexander Palmer, Daniel Byman, Seth G. Jones, and Joseph S. Bermudez Jr. — May 3, 2024

• The Iran-Israel Air Conflict, One Week In
• Podcast: Iran Emerges from the Shadows

How Might Israel Strike Back?

Commentary by Daniel Byman — April 16, 2024

The Islamic State in Khorasan Province: Exploiting a Counterterrorism Gap

Commentary by Tricia Bacon — April 11, 2024

The Coming Conflict with Hezbollah

Brief by Seth G. Jones, Daniel Byman, Alexander Palmer, and Riley McCabe — March 21, 2024

Past Events

Extremism in the West: International Influences, Local Challenges

“God, Guns, and Sedition: Far-Right Terrorism in America” with Bruce Hoffman and Jacob Ware

Hamas’ October 7 Attack: The Tactics, Targets, and Strategy of Terrorists

CISA's Evolving .gov Mission: Report Rollout Event

Innovation for Resilience

'Never Trust, Always Verify': Federal Migration to ZTA and Endpoint Security

A Conversation with Dr. Stacey Dixon, Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence

Launch of the Feb. 2022 Issue of the International Review of the Red Cross: “Counterterrorism, Sanctions and War”

Related programs.

Seth G. Jones

Suzanne Spaulding

James Andrew Lewis

Daniel Byman

Catrina Doxsee

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• Europe (70)
• European Union (29)
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• North Africa (47)
• North Africa (33)
• North America (134)
• Pakistan (35)
• Russia (47)
• Russia and Eurasia (48)
• South America (24)
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Exploring Careers at the State Department

Jobs inside the U.S. government can be nebulous, as can the process to get in the door. Learn to navigate the hiring process, as well as life as a State Department employee, with Ross Kaplan, Senior Advisor to the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS at the Department of State.

Event — June 4, 2024

An audio summary of CSIS’s Alexander Palmer, Daniel Byman, Seth G. Jones, and Joseph S. Bermudez Jr.’s new commentary, “ Assessing Israel’s Strike on Iran .” This audio was generated with text-to-speech by Eleven Labs. 

Podcast Episode by Alexander Palmer, Daniel Byman, Seth G. Jones, and Joseph S. Bermudez Jr. — May 3, 2024

Israel has vowed to retaliate for Iran's drone and missile attack. The government needs to restore deterrence and satisfy its own population, but all its options have costs and risks.

The attack on Crocus City Hall in Moscow in March 2024 demonstrates that not only is the Islamic State in Khorasan Province the Islamic State's most dangerous affiliate, but also that it has effectively exploited gaps in current international counterterrorism efforts.

The Cost of Paternalism: Sahelian Countries Push Back on the West

Niger broke off security ties with the United States, a setback to U.S. security operations in the Sahel and a blow to its ability to project power in the region.

Commentary by Catherine Nzuki — March 21, 2024

“The Coming Conflict with Hezbollah”: Audio Brief with Seth Jones and Daniel Byman

A short, spoken-word summary from CSIS’s Seth Jones and Daniel Byman on their brief with Alexander Palmer and Riley McCabe , “ The Coming Conflict with Hezbollah.”

Podcast Episode by Seth G. Jones and Daniel Byman — March 21, 2024

Since October 7, 2023, there have been over 4,400 attacks by Israel and Hezbollah combined, and the risk of war is high. Hezbollah has also repeatedly violated UN Security Council Resolution 1701 by deploying forces and firing weapons against Israel.

Rise of Domestic Terrorism

CNN national security analyst Peter Bergen joins the podcast to discuss how domestic terrorism is on the rise and what the United States can do to counter it.

Podcast Episode by H. Andrew Schwartz — March 15, 2024

CSIS sits down for a discussion on extremism with Robin Simcox, Commissioner for Countering Extremism at the United Kingdom Home Office.

Event — March 14, 2024

Terrorism: Perspectives from the Behavioral and Social Sciences (2002)

Chapter: 4. recommendations for research, 4 recommendations for research.

This analysis suggests a number of areas in which systematic theoretical and empirical research—some ongoing, some new—can create, confirm, refine, and reject understandings about terrorism as a social and political phenomenon, thereby improving the knowledge base for efforts to contend with it. As is the case throughout this report, we highlight Islamic-based terrorism, but many of the research recommendations cover a wider range of terrorist activities. We present these suggested areas in the form of a numbered list.

ORIGINS, CHARACTERISTICS, AND DYNAMICS OF TERRORISM

To develop individual-level background profiles of terrorists, using as many samples of terrorists as can be made available. Entries in these profiles could include data on family background (parents’ occupations or economic circumstances, size of family, place in sibling order), education, job history, political history, circumstances of recruitment and indoctrination into terrorism, and career history as a terrorist. Such research must rely on multiple unrepresentative samples, including populations of detainees, terrorist suspects garnered from intelligence sources, and writings of terrorists themselves if available. Comparisons with like populations—persons engaged in illegal international drug trafficking, members of religious cults and extremist movements—might also prove of some use.

To assess the motivational dynamics of terrorists and the characteristics of their value systems. Extremely difficult to

conduct, this kind of research could tap data dealing with past psychological histories of terrorists, attitudes toward authority, religiosity, and history of mental disturbance, as well as psychological measures of narcissism, ambivalence, and different types and levels of psychological commitment to terrorist activities. Information could come from some of the same samples that would yield individual-level background profiles. Also useful would be applications of cognitive analysis in the field of computer science and facets of artificial intelligence to untangle and structure the constituent elements of value structures.

To examine the evidence regarding impacts of values on actions, in order to derive knowledge about factors that serve as critical drivers to transform potential or latent terrorists into overt terrorists.

To determine the types and range of structures, processes, and organizational careers of terrorist organizations.

With respect to structure, comparative studies could yield structural typologies of terrorist organizations—hierarchical or flat structure, religious or secular, types of sanctions holding them together, and types of leaders, including level of internal differentiation of leadership. Estimates of organizational effectiveness and vulnerability according to type could also be generated.

With respect to group processes, empirical study could reveal typical communication processes and breakdowns, bases of internal conflict, competition among leaders, breakdown and restoration of social control, formation of subcliques, coordination of attacks and other operations, conduct of relations with other groups and networks, and modes of contending with pressures from outside, including states in their host societies.

With respect to the careers of organizations, study could yield knowledge about conditions facilitating the formation of groups; patterns of recruitment; the role of religious and nonreligious leaders; the impact of terrorist success, failure, and inaction on organizational morale and momentum; tendencies to transform into lobbies or political parties; schismatic tendencies and their consequences; and conditions contributing to the stagnation and extinction of terrorist organizations.

With respect to the power base, it is important to determine the resources available to terrorist organizations as a way of understanding their capabilities in terms of funding, training, information, and refuge.

To develop estimates of the probability of selection of different patterns of action and different types of targets by terrorist groups. Factors to be taken into account in generating such estimates include symbolic resonance with the ideological emphases of terrorist organizations (in the Middle East, anti-Christian, anti-Israel, extreme Jewish fundamentalist, antiglobal capitalism, antisecular), terrorists’ own thinking about what kinds of events induce terror, their own strategic assessments about what kinds of events are maximally disruptive, the hopedfor political and military effects of attacks, and the degree to which different attacks are spectacular and news-generating. These kinds of estimates will be facilitated by gaining access to and systematizing work on the communication patterns, language, and idioms used by terrorists themselves.

To develop through comparative research knowledge about the relevant audiences for terrorism and modes of communicating with these audiences as a way of determining the impacts of audience on the content of communication.

To elucidate the effects of host states harboring or giving rise to terrorists, in terms of the impact of type of state (according to wealth, poverty, and political culture) and state policies (support, benign neglect, attempts to domesticate or coopt, political repression) on the sources of terrorist groups, their potential for recruitment, and the careers and effectiveness of terrorist organizations

To survey and monitor demographic trends in fertility, mortality, and nuptiality in societies likely to develop terrorist activity; to draw out implications of these patterns for their potential to generate economic and educational development and to produce classes of idle, poverty-stricken, and frustrated youth.

To develop further work on the cultural and social backgrounds to terrorism, especially different types of Islamic revivalism. This could be broken down into subtopics, such as transnational or global Islamic movements; linguistic, cultural, and contextual factors; local or regional movements; conditions that promote different types of revivalism; implications for Muslim communities in the United States; and case studies of religious-based terrorism in particular countries (Islamic as well as non-Islamic).

To conduct historical and comparative research on the effects of Western economic, political, cultural, military, and

foreign policy activities on less developed countries—by categories of countries and types of activities—as well as the short-term impact on the patterns of terrorist activities. Such research is difficult to conduct with reliability and objectivity, first, because of the limited theoretical foundations to guide such work; second, because it is difficult to isolate and trace these consequences through the fabric of the affected societies; and third, because the research topics themselves are ideologically loaded and lie at the basis of debates and political divisions in American society. It is also important to examine the current influences across developing countries—shaped by common historical experiences with the West—that may be used to encourage the diffusion of terrorism.

Cutting across all the above types of research is the methodological need to systematize and allow ease of access to different types of data and databases—such as these exist—that may be related to different facets of terrorism. These tasks are formidable because many of these data appear in different languages, are gathered for a great diversity of purposes, and are not immediately comparable with one another.

RESPONSES TO TERRORISM

To evaluate warning systems. Comparative empirical studies of past disaster and terrorist situations should attempt to evaluate the respective consequences of effective warnings, failures to warn, miswarnings (false alarms), and overwarning.

To monitor immediate responses to disasters. Most disasters are both sudden and ephemeral, and immediate responses give way quickly to a wide variety of recovery and rebuilding activities. Relevant research agencies (universities, think tanks, government) should establish the capacity to move quickly to the scene and study immediate responses while they are occurring. Most research on short-term disaster responses relies on hastily assembled journalistic reports and after-the-fact accounts based of recollections by participants. Both sources are subject to selectivity and distortion. Teams of behavioral and social science researchers, collecting data on the spot and analyzing them in the context of established knowledge about disaster situations, would supplement and probably improve

on existing ways of generating information and understanding. Some universities have a tradition of fire brigade research; efforts should be made to expand and systematize it.

To track group differences in response to crises. Most thinking about preparedness, warning, and response rests on the assumption of an undifferentiated community or public. Research on disasters, however, has revealed that individuals and groups differ both in readiness and response according to previous disaster experience, ethnic and minority status, knowledge of the language, level of education, level of economic resources, and gender (Tierney et al., 2001). Research on these and other differences should be extended and deepened and taken into account when designing systems of preparedness, warning, and response to terrorist attacks and other disaster situations.

To evaluate the behavior of agencies of response to crisis. There should be a deepening of research—basic, comparative, and applied—on the structure of agencies designated as responsible for dealing with attacks and other disasters, on the optimal patterns of information dissemination and communication among them, and on the most effective strategies of coordination and self-correcting of coordination under extreme conditions. Research should also focus on the origins and consequences of organizational failure, miscommunication, lack of coordination, and jurisdictional conflict and squabbling.

To evaluate the practice of ethnic profiling. Advocated as both a necessary and effective method of identifying and apprehending terrorist suspects, ethnic profiling raises both methodological and policy issues. A scientific review should be made of its methodological underpinnings, including implied statistical assumptions and possible fallacies. In addition, the practice of profiling raises many questions about intrusiveness on civil rights and possible boomerang political effects in affected groups. A starting point for research might be an examination of scientific issues and political effects in affected groups. Such a study group could consult not only the literature on terrorism but also that in other areas (e.g., police arrest practices, housing discrimination) in which the issue has emerged.

To assess both short-term and long-term group responses to terrorism and terrorist attacks in terms of attitudes and opinions. Questions would include the attitudinal consequences of living in prolonged situations of heightened anxiety, as well as

the dynamics of the balance between tendency toward national and community solidarity (tending to diminish group difference and conflict) and the tendency for fault lines dividing groups along ethnic, religious, and political dimensions to become more salient. In the current atmosphere, special attention should be given to the situation of Muslim Americans—blacks, Asians, and Arabs—who consider themselves part of the nation’s demographic, cultural, and political fabric but who have experienced considerable stress in the context of national reactions to terrorist activities emanating from the states of origin of some of these citizens. This last line of research could be supplemented by comparative work on ethnic, especially Muslim, minorities in European countries, including France, Germany, and the United Kingdom, where the forces shaping the national and ethnic loyalties differ from those in the United States.

To develop sequential and cumulative analyses of terrorist events. Because terrorist attacks tend to be sudden, surprising, and of short duration, they are usually regarded as discrete events. In reality, however, they build on one another, and any new attack or attacks is read, variably by different groups, in the context of the past history of such events. One of the interpretative frames of reacting to the attack on the World Trade Center, for example, was the memory of the unsuccessful effort to destroy it by bombing in 1993. Reactions to anthrax episodes were strongly conditioned—and exaggerated—because they occurred so soon in the wake of September 11. The whole history of mutual terrorism between Palestine and Israel is a history of stored memories of many past occurrences, evoked when new attacks occur and referred to continuously by both sides. Historical research on the interrelated sequencing of reactions, interpretations, and memories of terrorist events would deepen theoretical and empirical understanding of those phenomena. Conceptual models, such as path dependency (employed in economics, political science, and other fields) and the logic of “value added,” would offer guidelines to framing and conducting this kind of research. Formal modeling of these kinds of sequences should also be explored.

The events and aftermath of September 11, 2001, profoundly changed the course of history of the nation. They also brought the phenomenon known as terrorism to the forefront of the nation's consciousness. As it became thus focused, the limits of scientific understanding of terrorism and the capacity to develop policies to deal with it became even more evident. The objective of this report is to bring behavioral and social science perspectives to bear on the nature, determinants, and domestic responses to contemporary terrorism as a way of making theoretical and practical knowledge more adequate to the task. It also identifies areas of research priorities for the behavioral and social sciences.

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Terrorism Dissertation Topics Ideas

Published by Owen Ingram at January 5th, 2023 , Revised On March 24, 2023

Introduction

Terrorism is a major global threat to public safety and security. It is an unlawful use of violence and intimidation to achieve political, ideological or religious goals. Terrorist attacks are always extremely devastating and have the potential to cause significant destruction, fear, injury and even death.

Terrorists employ many tactics, including bombings, hijackings, hostage takings, assassinations, cyber-attacks and more. The impact of terrorism on society is widespread, as it can cause economic damage by disrupting financial markets, creating social unrest through fear-mongering and creating long-term psychological trauma for affected individuals or communities.

Governments worldwide have implemented various initiatives designed to tackle this type of crime, but terrorist groups continue to operate across international borders with impunity.

Conducting research on terrorism is an essential aspect of a student’s dissertation and understanding of terrorism-related topics. In order to develop a comprehensive understanding of this complex field, students should dedicate time to researching the phenomenon of terrorism and its implications for national security.

In today’s world, terrorism has become one of the most pressing issues faced by countries all over the globe. Thus, it is important for students to be knowledgeable about current events and how they relate to global security.

Developing a solid analytical outlook towards terrorist groups, their goals, and objectives can open up new opportunities in the realm of national security policy-making and counter-terrorism initiatives. Moreover, it can help in developing comprehensive solutions which are aimed at curbing terrorist activity in areas around the world that are prone to violence.

How Should Students Choose Terrorism-Related Dissertation Topics?

When it comes to topics related to terrorism, this task becomes even more difficult as many complex and diverse topics can be investigated. Students should consider certain factors while choosing their dissertation topic to ensure they have chosen an appropriate and practical research area.

First, students should identify what area or field they wish to focus on for their dissertation. For example, suppose a student is interested in researching international terrorism. In that case, they should look for potential research topics related to this field, such as analysing terrorist networks or understanding state responses towards transnational terrorist organisations.

Students can also look on more specific areas, such as examining the role of social media in recruiting individuals into terror networks or looking at counter-terrorism strategies employed by different countries around the world.

Terrorism Dissertation Topics List

• Are counter-terrorism strategies effective? The results of the Campbell systematic review on counter-terrorism evaluation research
•  Combating terrorism: strategies of ten countries
• Rethinking Nigeria’s counter-terrorism strategy
• Common threat and common response? The European Union’s counter-terrorism strategy and its problems
• Credibility in the global war on terrorism: Strategic principles and research agenda
• A strategic framework for terrorism prevention and mitigation in tourism destinations
• From convergence to deep integration: Evaluating the impact of EU counter-terrorism strategies on domestic arenas
• Counter-terrorism strategies in Indonesia, Algeria and Saudi Arabia
• Hard versus soft measures to security: Explaining the failure of counter-terrorism strategy in Nigeria
• Putting terrorism in context: Lessons from the Global Terrorism Database
• What is domestic terrorism? A method for classifying events from the global terrorism database
• Characterising chemical terrorism incidents collected by the global terrorism database, 1970-2015
• Machine learning techniques to visualise and predict terrorist attacks worldwide using the global terrorism database
• The impact of terrorism on financial markets: An empirical study
• The impact of terrorism and conflicts on growth in Asia
• The economic impact of terrorism from 2000 to 2018
• The impact of terrorism on European tourism
• The impact of terrorism on Italian employment and business activity
• Impact of terrorism on economic development in Pakistan.
• Psychological impact of terrorism on children and families in the United States
• The impact of terrorism on the brain and behaviour: what we know and what we need to know
• Terrorism, the future, and US foreign policy
• Jewish terrorism in Israel
• Israel–Palestine: One State or Two: Why a Two-State Solution is Desirable, Necessary, and Feasible
• The Terrorism Acts In 2011: Report of the Independent Reviewer on the Operation of the Terrorism Act 2000 and of Part 1 of the Terrorism Act 2006

Also read: Dissertation Topics on Ukraine, Russia and NATO Conflict , Dissertation Topics on USA’s Withdrawal From Afghanistan , International Relations and Geopolitics Dissertation Topics , International Development Dissertation Topics , Criminal Psychology Dissertation Ideas .These subject topics will help you in getting dissertation research ideas, if you are studying in any mentioned subject.

How Can ResearchProspect Help?

ResearchProspect writers can send several custom topic ideas to your email address. Once you have chosen a topic that suits your needs and interests, you can order for our dissertation outline service which will include a brief introduction to the topic, research questions , literature review , methodology , expected results , and conclusion . The dissertation outline will enable you to review the quality of our work before placing the order for our full dissertation writing service!

What are the Benefits of Choosing a Good Terrorism Dissertation Topic?

Choosing the right topic for a dissertation on terrorism can be difficult. However, considering the various factors associated with it can help make the decision more accessible and beneficial to students.

A good terrorism dissertation topic should be relevant, engaging and unique enough to stand out from other written works in the field. It is also essential to address an issue or question that has yet to be looked at in depth.

In addition to helping students build their research skills, choosing an effective dissertation topic on terrorism will allow them to explore an area of interest in depth and develop a better understanding of complex issues related to this subject matter.

Students should also remember that selecting a current issue or one with potential implications for national security is likely to attract greater interest from potential employers or universities when applying for jobs or further study opportunities.

FAQs Related to Terrorism Dissertation Topics

What are some terrorism dissertation topics for students.

In the article above, there are multiple dissertation topics related to terrorism. You can choose any of them. A few areas explored include:

• Counterterrorism,
• Global governance,
• Conflict resolution

Are these dissertation topics unique?

Yes, all these dissertation topics are unique. But other students might have used them. You can take help from our dissertation topic services to get a unique topic for your terrorism dissertation.

What are the benefits of using the dissertation topic service?

The most beneficial part of dissertation topic services is that it offers help from experienced professionals with extensive knowledge in the field of research. This includes an initial consultation to discuss ideas, direct access to resources and databases, advice on turning those ideas into concrete topics, and suggestions on organising a literature review or methodology.

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Domestic Radicalization and Violent Extremism

Countering and preventing terrorism is a primary concern for state and local law enforcement agencies as well as the federal government. Terrorists are those who support or commit ideologically motivated violence to further political, social or religious goals. The goal of NIJ’s work on domestic radicalization and violent extremism is to provide community leaders with evidence-based practices for bolstering resilience and developing communitywide responses that can prevent  radicalization and mitigate threats posed by those individuals mobilized to violent extremism.

Important questions remain about the nature of terrorism, but few are as vexing as why and how individuals become terrorists. This process, often referred to as “radicalization to terrorism” or "radicalization to violent extremism," is the central focus of NIJ’s research and evaluation efforts in this area of study.

To improve our understanding of radicalization to violent extremism as it occurs in the United States, NIJ supports research aimed at answering several questions:

• What common threads exist among cases of domestic radicalization to violent extremism?
• Which models of radicalization to violent extremism explain how the process occurs in the United States, and what can these models tell us about preventing and countering violent extremism?
• Why do people adopt radical beliefs, and why do some people choose to engage in violence to further those beliefs while others do not?
• How are U.S. communities responding to radicalization, and what works to prevent radicalization to violent extremism and terrorism?

NIJ has funded research on terrorism since 2002. Since 2012, NIJ has focused its research investments in this area on developing a better understanding of domestic radicalization and advancing evidence-based strategies for effective intervention and prevention of radicalization to violent extremism in the United States.

Following are short overviews of our primary focus in each year of the program and links to a list of awards funding in that year.

Fiscal Year 2023

In the twelfth year of the program (FY23), NIJ continued its focus in understanding and identifying threats of radicalization and violent extremism, as well as examining intervention and prevention strategies. In addition, with the increase of online engagement facilitating radicalization and violent extremism, this year’s funding also supported research that explored the role of social media, online forums and other internet platforms on violent extremism and radicalization. Overall, NIJ identified these areas of focus in the solicitation:

• Research to inform terrorism intervention and prevention efforts.
• Research on the role of communications in promoting and countering extremist content and information.
• Research on disengagement, deradicalization and the reintegration into society of individuals incarcerated for terrorism related offenses.
• Evaluations of programs and practices to prevent acts of terrorism.

NIJ selected five projects for funding that each address these areas of focus to inform policy on strategies to counter the increase in radicalization and violent extremism.

Read abstracts and see award details for the 2023 projects.

Fiscal Year 2022

In the eleventh year of the program (FY22), NIJ shared many of the same objectives as the fiscal year 2021 solicitation of assembling knowledge for the prevention and intervention of radicalization to violent extremism. Additionally, in order to address a major research need and in direct response to the National Strategy for Countering Domestic Terrorism , NIJ solicited research on mis-, dis-, and mal- information. In all, NIJ expressed interest in the following areas:

• Research to inform terrorism prevention efforts.
• Research on the disengagement, deradicalization, and reintegration of individuals convicted of terrorism related charges.
• Evaluations of programs and practices to prevent terrorism.
• Research on countering mis-, dis-, or mal-information.

Moreover, in response to NIJ’s congressional mandate for FY22, the solicitation emphasized a focus on the radicalization of White nationalists, and evidence-based prevention and intervention strategies were encouraged.

After a competitive review process, NIJ awarded grants for two projects.

Read abstracts and see award details for the 2022 projects.

Fiscal Year 2021

In the tenth year of the program (FY21), NIJ desired insight into the domestic radicalization process to inform evidence-based prevention and intervention strategies. As highlighted in three focus areas, NIJ sought applicants conducting rigorous studies to

• Improve upon existing research on terrorism prevention,
• Increase knowledge on how to support the reintegration of individuals convicted of terrorism-related charges back into the community effectively, or
• Evaluate programs and practices aimed at preventing terrorism.

An overarching goal of this solicitation was to bridge the gap between research and practice by having applicants partner with agencies to develop novel and translational approaches for efficiently meeting the needs of current and former extremists. Ultimately, NIJ selected eight projects for funding.

Read abstracts and see award details for the 2021 projects.

Fiscal Year 2020

In the ninth year of the program (FY20), NIJ aimed to support research that specified approaches to prevent terrorism effectively. 

An emphasis was placed on the following priority areas:

• Evaluations of terrorism prevention programs and practices.
• Research on the reintegration of individuals convicted of terrorism-related charges back into the community.

Funded projects demonstrated an effort to establish partnerships between researchers and practitioners in developing terrorism prevention strategies and underscored clear benefits and implications for criminal justice agencies.

 In total, NIJ chose three projects for funding. These projects examined the risk and protective factors increasing or decreasing an individual’s involvement in politically motivated violence, the differences among five far-right groups to create an analytic framework for policies that address far-right extremism, and how a community-based program can engage individuals at risk of radicalizing to violence.

Read abstracts and see award details for the 2020 projects .

Fiscal Year 2019

In the eighth year of the program (FY19), NIJ emphasized an interest in evaluations of new and existing demonstration programs to prevent terrorism. NIJ encouraged applicants to submit projects which conduct phased, comparative and multi-site programmatic evaluations, help the field better understand risk factors, and develop risk assessment tools. NIJ also encouraged applicants to submit projects to increase knowledge surrounding deradicalization and disengagement, in addition to programming and services provided to those incarcerated for or released from terrorism related offenses.

NIJ’s priorities for the FY19 solicitation were to fund studies in three focus areas:

• Both formative and outcome evaluations of programs and practices to prevent terrorism
• Research to inform terrorism prevention efforts (same as previous years)
• Research on the reintegration of individuals to the community (new)

The first area of focus emphasized a phased evaluation approach. If applicants selected for awards under this area are successful in completing a formative and evaluability assessment, additional funding may be provided to those applicants for the subsequent phases of the evaluation (i.e. the process evaluation or the outcome/impact evaluation).  Applicants were also allowed to submit proposals for standalone outcome evaluations of existing strong and well-developed programs. Rigor and strong experimental designs were emphasized.

The second area of focus solicited research on prevention and intervention programs, as well as comparative analyses of these types of programs from various communities across the country. This area of focus attempted to develop knowledge and bridge gaps in research about pathways, risk and protective factors, and the assessment of those risk factors. This area also focused on the development of instruments, procedures, and practices to improve the identification of individuals at high-risk of becoming committed to terrorist ideologies and carrying out acts of terrorism. NIJ sought applications that build and improve on existing research in this area, including research that improves on data sources and methods.

The last area of focus emphasized needs-assessments and general knowledge building around the reintegration of persons released on terrorism-related charges. As this research area is highly understudied and still in its infancy, NIJ sought to build knowledge of pre-release and post-confinement characteristics of those convicted of committing acts of terrorism that may inform reintegration policies, programs, and practices.

Read abstracts and see award details for the 2019 projects that were selected for funding .

Fiscal Year 2018

In the seventh year of the program, we re-emphasized many of the same themes from the fiscal year 2017 solicitation. Special attention was directed towards supporting replication and rigorous scientific evaluation of existing programs, as well as the development and evaluation of programs where none currently exist. We funded studies that apply an approach that engages researchers and practitioners in an active partnership to develop more effective solutions to specific problems, and to produce transportable lessons and strategies that may help other localities with similar problems.

Read abstracts and see award details for the 2018 projects that were selected for funding .

Fiscal Year 2017

In the sixth year of the program, NIJ sought to support both programmatic evaluations and foundational research to better understand causes and contributing factors to radicalization. Areas of focus highlighted in the solicitation included (but were not limited to):

• Risk factors and risk assessment tools.
• Development of instruments, procedures, and practices.
• Comparative/multi-site programmatic evaluations and analyses.

Our overall with this solicitation was to bridge gaps in knowledge by understanding why and how radicalization occurs, and what research-informed steps can be taken to prevent it, or intervene before it leads to violence.

Read abstracts and see award details for the 2017 projects that were selected for funding .

Fiscal Year 2016

The fifth year of the program continued the theme of focusing on the application of research. Along with the release of many of the individual studies funded in the first two years of the program, NIJ is launching a series of papers that will synthesize the results of the studies and integrate findings from non-NIJ studies and reports to state plainly what the research tells us about radicalization pathways, behavioral indicators and so forth. Second, NIJ hosted a Program Status Meeting in December of 2016 which brought together NIJ grantees, practitioners, local/state/federal partners and stakeholders to discuss research findings and ideas for future research direction. The fiscal year 2016 solicitation called for papers that intended to support replication and evaluation of existing programs as well as the development and evaluation of programs where none currently exist. NIJ sought applications that applied an “action research” approach that engages researchers and practitioners in an active partnership to develop more effective solutions to specific problems and to produce transportable lessons and strategies that may help other localities with similar problems. The fiscal 2016 solicitation resulted in the funding of three new studies. Read abstracts and see award details for the 2016 projects .

Fiscal year 2015

Year 4 of the program shifted away from the construction of the evidence base to focus more on prevention and intervention. Two major activities demarcated this shift. The first was a major, three-day conference called “Radicalization and Violent Extremism: Lessons from Canada, the UK and the US,” which brought together the most influential research teams from the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada. It gathered the best researchers from five robust and comprehensive programs targeting terrorism and delivered practical, timely and plain spoken results to the practitioners who can use them.   

The second major activity was the launch of an effort to work with stakeholders in the field to determine the requirements for identifying individuals who would benefit from early intervention to dissuade radicalization or for determining whether an individual is eligible for diversion and rehabilitation programs. To accomplish this, NIJ supported a Department of Homeland Security Directorate of Science and Technology (DHS S&T) contract action that will scan and assess existing tools and programs against the requirements of stakeholders.

Lastly, NIJ launched a fourth call for proposals addressing radicalization to terrorism. The objectives of this call for proposals were to address radicalization to Indigenous forms of terrorism, to explore contemporary forms of radicalization, and to evaluate community-based prevention and intervention programs. Four projects were selected for funding. Read abstracts and see award details for the 2015 projects.

Fiscal year 2014

Year 3 of the program has focused on the dissemination of early results. NIJ hosted practitioners, including representatives from U.S. Attorneys' Offices, other federal agencies, state and local law enforcement agencies, and international partners, at a program update meeting in June 2014. The meeting provided a chance for the first-year grantees to present their initial findings and for the second-year grantees to introduce their new projects.

After a competitive review process, NIJ awarded grants for six research projects in 2014. Read abstracts and see award details for the 2014 projects .

Fiscal Year 2013

In the second year of the program, NIJ undertook a coordinated effort to bring together stakeholders and demonstrate the importance of the research. The effort culminated in a meeting of grantees and key stakeholders from federal, state and local criminal justice agencies.

The research and evaluation goals were expanded to include six research grants targeting new questions that were brought to the table. NIJ identified the following areas of interest for year 2 proposals:

• Comparative analysis of individual terrorists, individuals who perpetrate mass casualty events, gang members, hate group members and/or organized criminals
• Online radicalization to terrorism
• Evaluations of promising practices
• The relationship between and convergence of organized crime and either terrorist groups or transnational gangs

After a competitive review process, NIJ awarded six grants. 

Five of the six were awarded under the "Research and Evaluation on Radicalization to Violent Extremism in the United States" solicitation.  Read abstracts and see award details for those five projects .

One grant was awarded under the "Research and Evaluation on Transnational Issues Trafficking in Persons, Transnational Organized Crime and Violent Extremism" solicitation. Read an abstract and see award details for that award . 

Fiscal Year 2012 (Initial Year of the Program)

In the first year of the program, NIJ focused its call for research proposals on four areas of interest:

• Empirical evaluation of social science theories of domestic radicalization.
• Examination of the radicalization process for individuals, including “lone wolf” terrorists.
• Comparative analysis of terrorists, organized criminals, gangs, hate groups and/or cults.
• Influence of community-level and policing strategies on domestic radicalization.

After a competitive review process, NIJ awarded six grants and one evaluation contract.  Read abstracts and see award details for the 2012 projects .

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Forensic psychological mindset of a terrorist: More questions than answers for public safety threat risk assessments

• Original Article
• Published: 08 April 2013
• Volume 29 , pages 185–197, ( 2016 )

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• Ronn Johnson 1  

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In 2012, a team of US air marshals forced a Delta Airlines overseas flight to return and evacuate because two passengers were thought to be working as a terrorist team, which proved to be false after investigation. This incident plus two other on-plane psychological meltdowns of in-flight personnel are alarming reminders of the snap decisions that are currently made without much guidance to inform such threat assessments. Preflight security measures have addressed many of the post-9/11 threats of terrorism. Nonetheless, successful and thwarted acts of terrorism and reconnaissance response probes have fueled a growing need for homeland security, military and public safety personnel's reflexive instincts to engage, ‘what if’ as a guiding principle in threat assessments. There is an elusive nexus between timely intelligence gathering, acts of terror and understanding the mindset of a terrorist. An internalized homeland security decision-making approach to ‘think like a terrorist’ is instructive in coming up with actionable information for many contraterrorism efforts. This article raises several issues related to the mindset of a terrorist. Such mindset is reviewed from two traditional theoretical frameworks (that is, criminological and psychological theories). The article also explores the applicability of these theories to public safety from a risk assessment perspective. The article concludes with implications for public safety research, practice and training.

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Johnson, R. Forensic psychological mindset of a terrorist: More questions than answers for public safety threat risk assessments. Secur J 29 , 185–197 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1057/sj.2013.6

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528 Terrorism Essay Topic Ideas & Examples

⁉️ how to write a terrorism essay: do’s and don’ts, 🏆 best terrorism topic ideas & essay examples, 🥇 most interesting terrorism topics to write about, ⚡ shocking terrorism essay topics, 📌 simple & easy terrorism essay titles, 👍 good essay topics on terrorism, 💡 interesting topics to write about terrorism, ❓ terrorism essay questions.

Current-day problems, from global warming to human rights, continue to be a topical subject, urging students to address acute issues.

However, this relatability means that you, as an essay writer, may find yourself faced with conflicting facts and circumstances, which your inherent bias may affect.

Thus, a terrorism essay becomes not merely an academic endeavor, but an attempt to immerse yourself in contemporary issues with a multitude of opinions.

• Research and outline your subject beforehand. This process will not only save your time but also help you structure your thoughts and arguments coherently.
• Use tools, such as topic sentences and brainstorming techniques, in the prewriting phase of your paper. Doing so will help you understand how you would like to develop your central theme.
• Start compiling a bibliography early on. When many different viewpoints exist, creating a structured argument in favor of a particular approach may require a wide array of supporting book and journal titles.
• Give a historical overview of your issue. For example, if you are writing about global terrorism, then it is apparent that a worldwide network of violent radicals did not come into existence overnight. Acknowledge and explain the origins of your assigned issue.
• Read other’s sample essays. This action will help you gain a better understanding of what works and what does not in terrorism essay topics.
• Use terrorism essay quotations. Since this is a contemporary issue, then there are bound to be many people involved in activities to counter terrorism, survivors of attacks, and general onlookers. Utilize their perspectives and memories to give your essay a unique touch.
• Remain respectful throughout your paper. Recognize the gravity of your essay and understand the privilege you have when writing about ideas that you may not have experienced.
• Write your essay with no references. Despite watching TV coverages, listening to critics, and reading tabloids, none of us are experts on war or terrorism. Always cite the sources of your information to uphold the integrity of your work.
• Plagiarize from the work of others. While you may read essays written by your peers or those that are available online, directly copying from them is an academic offense.
• Go off point. If you are writing about the history of Al Qaeda, do not disintegrate your work into a how to stop terrorism essay. However, you may give some points in your conclusion on how the overall situation may be amended.
• Write controversial terrorism essay titles. While your title should be catchy and grab your readers’ attention, you should not resort to cheap tactics to make your headings memorable by shock value. Remember that your audience may perceive this tactic as making light of your subject, thus destroying your hard-earned credibility.
• Try to advocate for a pro-terrorist approach. While it is a sound idea to subvert some essay topics, this is not the case in such papers and your work should always be against terrorism.
• Integrate examples from unreliable sources. While readers are often less informed than the essay’s writer is, the opposite may also occur. Therefore, always check the facts, which you include in your work, to avoid embarrassment.
• Draw out your essay to stress the seriousness of the subject. Use your instructor’s specified word count as a measure for how much you should write. Your readers will not appreciate a long-winded paper, as they are hoping instead to get a quick and concise introduction to an important problem.

Want to get more inspiration on terrorism essay topics? Head over to IvyPanda!

• “To Any Would-Be Terrorists” by Naomi Shihab Nye While trying to address the extremist audience, the writer resorted to the strong methods of personification to be able to talk straight to each reading the letter. Despite the character of the text, the writer […]
• Cause and Effect of Terrorism There are several effects of terrorism that are destructive in the nature. The effects are destruction of properties, loss of lives and decline in the economy of a country.
• Analyzing the Concept of Terrorism It is worth noting that a clear definition of terrorism is mostly subjective and is rarely objective due to the fact that it is an act of political violence.
• Terror in “The Dumb Waiter” Play by Harold Pinter Pinter exemplifies the existential view of the absurd and the non-existence in The Dumb Waiter in the same manner as that employed in Waiting for Godot by Beckett.
• Biowarfare and Bioterrorism: History and Origin According to Edmond and William, the dawn of bioterrorism dates back to the nineteenth century, when Louis Pasteur and Robert Koech studied and understood the basics of microbiology. Moreover, another application of biological weapons is […]
• An Analysis of Terrorist Activities The main terrorist attack of al Qaeda was the 9/11 Bombing of the World Trade Centers, claiming the lives of thousands of people and leading to the beginning of the War on Terror.
• Human and Technical Intelligence in Countering Terrorism The application of technical intelligence for the public good has to prioritise on several factors including human welfare in assisting the authorities in detecting and combating terrorism.
• Eco-Defense and Kinds of Ecological Terrorism Two basic practices of tree spiking exist; spiking the tree at the bottom of the tree trunk, and spiking the tree way above the trunk, as high as one can reach.
• The Psychological Explanation of Terrorism Therefore, most psychologists argue that in the quest to underpin the possible causes of terrorist activities, there is the need to discriminate between the motivations for joining, being retained, and disserting terrorist factions.
• What Makes Terrorism Different From Other Forms of Violence The purpose of this paper is to define terrorism and identify the crucial features that distinguish terrorism from different types of abuse.
• Terrorism: Domestic, Transnational, and Maritime Forms All types of terrorism are based on the forcible imposition of a worldview, ideology, morality, politics using violence, threats of murder or other forms as the primary means of achieving goals.
• Cyberterrorism: A 21st Century Threat and the Global Response Thus, it can be concluded that terrorism and cyberterrorism have become one of the many global challenges, and for this reason, they should be the object of close attention to the world community.
• Domestic Terrorism: Trends, Challenges, and Future Predictions Under the provisions of the US PATRIOT act, acts of domestic terrorism entail dangerous acts that pose a threat to human life and amount to a violation of various criminal laws of the US and/or […]
• Domestic Terrorism: A Comparative Analysis with Hate Crimes In my opinion, people could be driven by some factors or they could be conditioned throughout their lives to engage in domestic terrorism. They may also say that they feel unrecognized in the management of […]
• Domestic Terrorism in the US: Causes, Impacts, and Countermeasures The main agenda of the raid was to warn the Southerners of the violation acts of enslaving the blacks in their locality.
• Terrorism Impact on Tourism Industry After 2015 The mass media has also played a critical role in the rise and spread of the Islamic State and this is associated with the uncontrolled use of the social media which makes it easier for […]
• Domestic Terrorism and Homegrown Extremism in the US Criminal Justice System To learn what kind of work has to be done to deal with domestic terrorism and homegrown extremism, the nature and the role of law enforcement agencies have to be considered.
• The Ku Klux Klan: America’s Domestic Terrorism The ideology of the Ku Klux Klan to maintain the supremacy of the white race is not acceptable in the modern world because the majority of American residents and politicians accepted the equality of representatives […]
• Visionary Leadership: Crafting Counter-Terrorism Strategies In the context of the East African Community Counter-terrorism Unit, the leaders should come up with ideas that can help the region crush all the terrorist groups in the region.
• Analysis of a Domestic Terrorist Group and Homeland Security Policies The Boogaloo Movement is a severe menace, and the government must take all necessary measures to put a stop to it, it is concluded.
• Suspected Terrorist Interrogation and Use of Torture Regardless, torture is still popular across the globe, and it has elicited a new debate questioning whether it is immoral and unacceptable to use torture in the case of efforts to fight terror in the […]
• Terrorism, Corruption, and Climate Change as Threats Therefore, threats affecting countries around the globe include terrorism, corruption, and climate change that can be mitigated through integrated counter-terror mechanisms, severe punishment for dishonest practices, and creating awareness of safe practices.
• Problems the US Faced in the Prosecution of the International Terrorists Differentiating a potential extremist from the rest of the population has been challenging because most international criminals interact with civilians and become part of them.
• Terrorist Impact on Maritime Transportation Security Notably, the United States established the Transportation Security Administration under the Department of Transportation, which was soon transferred to the newly formed Homeland Security Department.
• International Terrorism: Waves and Countermeasures The concept of modern terrorism emerged in Russia, and after a decade, it spread to Western Europe, the Balkans, and Asia.
• The Nexus of Homeland Security and Terrorism The Department of Homeland Security is one of the several bureaucracies formed to tackle the issues of rising insecurity due to external powers and potential facilitators within the US.
• The Future and Change of Terrorism As a result, even if terrorists get their hands on these weapons, they might hesitate to use them on individuals because of the associated implications.
• The Terrorist Attack Recovery Process Terrorism response strategies and the recovery process vary according to the scope of damages and the implications of the methods used in the terror attacks.
• Preparing for a Potential Terrorist Attack The ultimate aim of preparedness is to limit exposure to adversities during and after a terrorist attack. Thus, a recommended approach to limiting the potential security hazard of terrorist attacks is assessing its attributes and […]
• Role of Terrorism in Russo-Ukrainian War Due to this factor, one of the most influential and widespread typologies of terrorism is the New Terrorism that emerged after the tragedy of 2001 in the USA.
• Anti-Terrorism Clarification Act of 2018 Therefore, the current policies are a response to existing problems, and as the problem inside the country has become smaller, the reaction has also decreased.
• Role of Media in Terrorism and Its Force Multipliers The following passages describe the role of the media in terrorism, how terrorists use laws to their advantage, the concept of asymmetrical warfare, and force multiplier as they apply to terrorism.
• Anti-Terrorism Security Complex for Civil Aviation It is expected that the increase in the number of flights in the absence of a strengthened anti-terrorist culture should also lead to an increase in the number of unintended consequences of such flights – […]
• Terrorism: Goals and Strategies Their main purpose can range from changing the direction of the politics in the state to overthrowing the exciting government and establishing control over the population.
• Religious Terrorism: Ideologies and Methods of Al Qaeda and ISIS Strict adherence to the recorded practices and sayings of the Prophet in the letter of the Koran is emphasized. It endorses the rationalization of terrorism and violence in the efforts to fight against infidels.
• Principles of Leadership and Future of Terrorism At the present time, leadership is presented in various forms; however, the primary objectives of the model generally include the improvement of organizational performance and the enhancement of the relationships between the members.
• The 2012 Tel Aviv Bus Bombing and Crisis Management Musa was the manufacturer and detonator of the bomb, which he used Mafarji to deliver inside the Tel Aviv-based commuter bus.
• Terrorism: The Role of Social Media This paper will discuss the role of the internet in terrorist activities, with a focus on social media. In the electronic age, terrorists use social media for recruitment, training, public terror, and action.
• The Role of the Military in Domestic Terrorism Acts The video focuses on the issue of domestic terrorism in the U.S.in light of the January 6th attack on the Capitol.
• Addressing Challenges of Religious Terrorism The various methods used in religious terrorism are spiritual scriptures to justify the violent acts and the use of apocalyptic images of destruction to justify the actions.
• Terrorism and Changes in Police Management Firstly, the police and organizations related to the population’s safety prioritized the prevention of terrorism to minimize the damage. Organizing in the police station involves the creation of organizational structure, points of authority, and responsibilities.
• Terrorists’ Minds and Radicalization Processes Moreover, the models agree that radicalization is a stepwise process in which one stage or step leads to another and eventually reaches the act of terrorism.
• The Terrorism and Oil Industry Relationship Since terrorism is a source of political instability in the world, there is expected to be a positive correlation between oil prices and terrorist attacks. The purpose of this research was to examine the relationship […]
• Understanding the Definition of WMDs and the Constraints on Terrorist Acquisition The most known WMD a nuclear weapon is limited in numbers and difficult to create. The most probable WMD for terrorists to acquire are chemical weapons.
• Online Interventions Addressing Terrorism and Radicalization The study will also identify that the Sakinah campaign can be considered a suitable example of how it is possible to address Internet terrorism and radicalization.
• A Terrorism Attack in the Middle East Countries in the Middle East are prone to terrorist attacks rendering it one of the unsafest regions in the world. The importance of this study is to understand the purpose of terrorist attacks in the […]
• Behavioral Factors of Individual Terrorists The behavior of individual terrorists is dictated by the group dynamics, their mental health, and well-being, as well as the underlying incentives for joining a terrorist organization.
• The Ways Terrorists Raise and Move Money Moreover, the government has put into action the freezing orders and blocking of united states individuals who are presumed to have a hand in terrorist activities.
• Terrorism and Transnational Organized Crime as Threats to Homeland Security The US is among the nations that have suffered some of the worst terrorist attacks worldwide and it is also a hub of international criminal activities due to its wealth of resources and powerful economic […]
• Planning for Terrorist Events: Case Study To review the response of France’s forces and evaluate its efficiency To provide several recommendations for the prevention of attacks during the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar Terrorist attacks that took place across Paris […]
• Global Impact of 9-11 Events on Terrorism Prevention Many people resorted to religion and faith, and the majority reported that they were praying more frequently. Moreover, it stimulated the intervention in Iraq and Afghanistan to fight terrorist groups.
• September 11, 2001 Attacks: What We Have Learned About Terrorism Since 9,11 The world has remembered one of the most tragic attacks in the USA in 2001, and the consequences of this event stay one of the most discussed.
• Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy One of the most serious problems of modern political society is the threat of terrorism, which, due to globalization, requires the unification of the international community.
• The Case of Saudi Arabia’s Soft Counter-Terrorism Strategy Therefore, this assessment is essential for government agencies, consulting organizations, and society in general, since innocent people suffer from the consequences of terrorism.
• Terrorism Prevention: Operation Geronimo Intelligence briefings had been vital in this operation, and there was sufficient evidence to show that the wanted terrorist was in the compound. In conclusion, the operation was a necessary undertaking in ensuring international peace […]
• Trump Tells Story About Killing Terrorists With Bullets Dipped in Pigs’ Blood The text reflects on Donald Trump’s recollection of the myth that terrorists were killed before the bullets used were dipped in pig blood.
• US Strategy From the Cold War to the Post-Global War on Terrorism Before the collapse of the United Soviet Socialist Republic in 1991, the United State’s strategy during the Cold War era had been one of deterrence to the potential threats of the USSR and its allies […]
• Analysis of the Terrorist Organizations: “Red Brigades” and “Boko Haram” The most famous action in the organization’s history is the abduction and murder of the former Prime Minister of Italy Aldo Moro in the spring of 1978.
• Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism in the US The very first section of this act is devoted to strengthening the internal security of the population of the States in the framework of countering terrorism.
• Countering Terrorism Through Innovative Approaches The vital issue of this meeting became the issue of the technological development of international terrorism, its rapid growth in the online world, and acquaintance with the most recent technologies.
• Iran’s Involvement in Sponsoring Global Terrorism Due to the particular features of the theocratic regimes, in the case of Iran, the inclination towards terrorism can be explained by two pillars of the Islamic doctrine underlining the constitution.
• Criminalistics: Forensic Science, Crime, and Terrorism These writings can be on the second, third, and so on pages, depending on the pressure on the writing subject, that is, a pen or pencil.
• Terrorism: the Victim of Terrorism and of Mechanisms to Combat It The Concept of Terrorism: Unlawful act Broad interpretations Threatening lives Generic term of terror Caused by forces opposed to the state Sociopolitical
• Countering Terrorism and Preventive Measures Considering the events of the past century, including the first and 9/11 bombing of the World Trade Center in 1993 and 2001, United States Embassy in Beirut and Kuwait bombing, and many other attacks, the […]
• Why Terrorism Is Not a Serious Threat to International and National Security We accept the existence of this threat, but we are still sure terrorism narrative as an existential threat is doing more damage to a larger amount of people than local terroristic attacks.
• Response to a Hypothetical Terrorist Event Prior to explicit action, the first thing to do in such a situation is to assess the environment depending on the location of terrorists and the type of attack and to outline the civilians that […]
• Biological Warfare and Agro-Terrorism However, the most important thing from which those infected with botulism die is paralysis of the respiratory muscles and the respiratory failure that follows. The bacteria Bacillus Anthracis, which causes anthrax, is one of the […]
• Terrorism Impacts on Policing in Belgium Nevertheless, when studying the world experience of countries facing the threat of high extremist activity and falling victim to attacks by militant fanatics at the beginning of the 21st century, the Belgian government has strengthened […]
• Researching of Morals of Terrorists Terrorism attacks are a form of violence, and the moral implication is death in the form of revenge. Realism is a form of acceptance that everyone on the battlefield is a civilian with their families.
• The Structures, Motivations, and Qualities of Terrorist Groups This implies that the structures of terrorist groups are determined by the capacity and character of the government and society where they operate.
• The Functionalism Theory Assumptions of Terrorism The functionalism theory echoes the candid assumptions of terrorism and further resonates with the evolving terrorism threat. As Barkan outlines, the functionalism perspective postulates that terrorism creates social bonding and solidarity within societies at war.
• Terrorism: Cargo and Passenger Screening To avoid such events, security systems need to be improved by the management both in the field of technological equipment and in the training of professionals.
• The United Kingdom’s Strategy for Countering Terrorism The objectives of this strategy are the prevention of radical manifestations in the fields of labor, law, politics, science and education, culture and sports, communication, and healthcare. In addition, it is characterized by legal information […]
• Motivations of Lone-Wolf Terrorists The phenomenon of lone-wolf terrorism is an interesting one because it challenges one to attempt to understand the motivation of a person to commit a violent criminal act knowing of the severe consequences.
• Public Policy Issue: Domestic Terrorism At the same time, proponents of the policy argue that the rise of domestic terrorism is due to the failure of holding accountable and confronting the perpetrators by the responsible authorities and not a case […]
• Radicalization and Terrorism in the United States The individuals or self-proclaimed bombers are one of the major threats that the USA will have to be on the lookout for most of the time.
• America: Racism, Terrorism, and Ethno-Culturalism The myth of the frontier is one of the strongest and long-lived myths of America that animates the imagination of the Americans even to this day.
• “Terrorism” Is a Biased Term According to Bin Ladin, the bombing of the World Trade Center was an intimidation technique targeting the Americans due to the violence against the Islamic community.
• Terrorism and Data Mining Algorithms However, this is a necessary evil as the nation’s security has to be prioritized since these attacks lead to harm to a larger population compared to the infringements.
• Cyber-Terrorism and International Interventions Most of the cyber-attacks that have occurred involve the direction of the malware and attacks to specific critical systems and Information Technology infrastructures.
• Terrorism and Media Coverage In that regard, the issue of media coverage is specifically important to consider in situations involving hostages, as the media either covering a news report or responding to the terrorists’ demands is in a position […]
• Airfreight Security Breaches and Terrorism The majority of terrorist attacks happened after the 1990s, thereby indicating the deterioration of the security system and breaches in it.
• Terror and Religion One of the common religious terror activities has been on martyrdom, the practice of causing death to oneself on the basis of being a witness to ideological and theological perspectives and beliefs.
• Encryption, Stenography & Cyber Criminal Terrorist The internet and the ICT system as a whole are vulnerable to cyber attacks. This is the method of using to trademark to protect our images and copyright on our intellectual properties.
• Radicalization and Terrorism Phenomena A precursor to radicalization and terrorism is the lack of proper socio-political integration of certain communities in countries. Radicalization lies at the heart of terrorism and plays a central role in the propagation of ideas.
• Boko Haram Terrorist Organization: History and Facts Since the inception of the organization in 2002, the primary goal of Boko Haram has been to impose Islamic rule in Nigeria by promoting a version of the religion that forbids participation in any social […]
• Local Efforts to Counter the Terror Threat in New York City The program encompasses a series of both current and future policy efforts that are associated with the private sector security as well as counterterrorism in the state.
• Cyber-Terrorism and Healthcare Information Systems – Past, Present, and Future The cyber appliances in the health sector then again sustain correspondence amongst shareholders and service providers and as well support resources management.
• Bioterrorism Response by Healthcare Organizations Bioterrorism is a frequently used term that proves human responsibility on the development of its outcomes and effects on people and other living beings on Earth.
• Response to Terrorist Attacks: The Role of Military and Public Sector Entities Nevertheless, to understand the basis of such partnership, one has to understand the actions that the public sector takes and has taken to respond to terrorism in the United States and globally.
• Terrorism: What Is It and How to Counter It? Counterterrorism is one of the goals of international cooperation and is an activity aimed at preventing and combating terrorism. One of the most important areas of action is also to prevent the radicalization of both […]
• Emergency Operations in Case of Radiological Terrorism An excellent example of an explosion that profoundly affected the Americans is the 9/11 attack that led to the destruction of the Twin Towers and the Pentagon.
• Command Structure of Sharing the Information About Possible Acts of Terror Following the infamous events of 9/11, the government of the United States introduced new strategies and roles that have continued to reshape the roles and involvement of law enforcers in cases of terrorism.
• Bio-Terrorism: When Microbes Become a Threat to Human Existence In general, due to the cooperation of scientists, policymakers, and public agencies across the globe, the international community has recognized the potential of biological weapons and is prepared for the majority of threats.
• How Terrorism Impacts the Human Experience From the point of view of modern definitions or attempts to define these phenomena, the difference is most often established in the globality of the character, duration of the act, and the number of actors […]
• Annotated Bibliography About Terrorism This is a book review article written by Khanna on the book “Terrorism as a war” written by Walter Laqueur and published by Continuum Books.
• Cyberterrorism, Competing Factions, and Possible Course of Action Various aspects can be analyzed concerning cyberterrorism, competing factors, and possible course of actions in corporations to show that cyberterrorism is a legitimate option for the expression of grievances by terrorists.
• Importance of Emergency Response to Terrorist Attack According to the scenario presented, it makes sense to involve the DoD since the terrorists, supposedly AWOLs, pose an extreme threat to the lives of civilians and the military.
• National Response to Terrorism & Natural Disaster The National Response Framework governs the national security and crisis response to dynamic emergencies and natural disasters that occur in the community.
• Terrorism: Definitions, Features Shared by Terrorists However, since there is no agreed-upon definition of a terrorist attack, it is possible to state that some incidents were omitted from the statistics. Terrorism is difficult to combat and requires the input of international […]
• Alienation and Solidarity: The Logic of Suicide Terrorism Pape’s “The Strategic Logic of Suicide Terrorism” discusses the growing prevalence of suicide attacks in the arsenal of terrorist movements from 1980 onward.
• Terrorists and Their Rights Under US Laws The key problems of the research are the ways in which Islamists are protected by the US legislation and society, where the threat comes from, and what the consequences might be.
• Anti-Terrorism Protocol and Counter-Terrorism Units The 1995 Tokyo sarin attack is a case in point because it proved the real possibility of such a scenario and was used as the reference for the L.A. First of all, as shown in […]
• Oklahoma City Bombing as Domestic Terrorist Act The federal building housed the offices of various government agencies, including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, which was directly involved in the Waco debacle. The attack allowed McVeigh to send a message to […]
• Foreign Fighters and Contemporary Terrorism Finally, recruiters have received access to the vulnerable groups directly, which is demonstrated in the book In the Skin of a Jihadist written by an investigative journalist Anne Erelle.
• Terrorist Attacks: Paul Hanson vs. Patrick Crusius He made some preparations in the form of stockpiling weapons and researching the locations in which they reside. Crusius was more discrete in his information gathering, though it was still the failure of the FBI […]
• Terrorism Liaison Officer’s Responsibilities The analyst was involved in the assessment of the case and contributed to false-positive reporting regarding the journalist and other civilians being terrorists.
• Terrorism in the United States of America The group might disintegrate in the future because of its dwindling number of followers, leadership wrangles, and a lack of finances to fund its activities.
• Identifying Terrorism-Related Situations In the selected setting of Philadelphia, the general environment appears to be in control, yet further measures may need to be undertaken to prevent the instances of protests from reaching a state of havoc.
• Task Force and the Fusion Center: Terrorism Prevention Thus, it can be argued that the main task of JTTF in targeted violence prevention is crime investigation and intelligence generation.
• Fusion Centers: The Role in Terrorism Prevention Boston Globe reports that the information-sharing system currently in use is not efficient in preventing terrorism, highlighting the fact that the FBI and the CIA probes of Tamerlan Tsarnaev were unbeknown to Massachusetts counterterrorist units.
• DHS and Intelligence: Terrorism The organization of the fight against terrorism requires a comprehensive approach to the analysis of the sources and subjects of terrorist activity, a clear definition of the functions and areas of responsibility of each item […]
• The Molly Maguires as a Domestic Terrorism Group It is these origins of the Molly Maguires terrorist group that gave them their thirst for blood and led to the killing of a myriad of Irishmen until the group was exterminated in the proximities […]
• Australian Anti-Terrorism Laws In the quest to protect citizens, some governments have gone to the extend of inflicting torture on terror suspects in need to obtain some information from the suspect, which raises concern about the suspect’s civil […]
• Bioterrorism Preparedness and Public Health Response Therefore, the current state of the preparedness cannot be estimated as high or sufficient, and the approach needs to be elaborated.
• Aggressive Behavior Among the Al-Shabaab Terrorists The former are the underlying sources that propel susceptible individuals to radicalization, while the latter are the incentives that the terrorist groups offer to attract and retain recruits.
• War on Terrorism: Budget and Policy Discussion The discussion of the specific Acts and Policies directed at USA security is going to be considered with the purpose to follow the changes which occurred in the USA after 9/11 attacks.
• Criminology: Terrorism–Security Policy for Large Events This attack proved to the government the vulnerability of the state concerning external threats, especially because, prior to the attack, the customary means of attack had been the use of military force as evidenced in […]
• Causes of Terrorism Terrorism is defined as violent actions that are aimed at instilling fear to people as a means of coercing them to submit to ideologies of a certain group.
• Violent Resistance and Terrorism The following study is an attempt to establish the root causes of violent resistance, the challenges facing the world due to violent resistance, and possible remedies to the problem citing specific cases that are helpful […]
• Terror Groups – Abu Nidal Organization Abu Nidal is the Arabic meaning of ‘father of the struggle.’ The terror group was named after its leader and founder Sabri al-Banna who was born in Palestine to a land owning family. Among the […]
• Impacts of Terrorism on Police Mission in the U.S. The incidence of September 11 2001 has remarkably transformed the police force in the U.S. There is an increase in the level of monitoring of international travels and boundaries by the police force.
• Homeland Security: Digital Crime and Terrorism Activities However, the US law enforcement system is characterized by the activities of different agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigations, Department of Homeland Security, Secret Service, Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
• Understanding the Basics of Terrorism On the other side of the rail is another man lying flat on the ground with a sniper rifle in his hands ready to wreak havoc.
• “Policing Terrorism” by Waddington He is of the argument that case-specific policing is focused on the outcome of court verdicts. He points out an incident in which the palace security was breached, and the commissioner of police reacted to […]
• Definite Paths to Terrorism: Main Dimensions This assimilation is enforced by the use of violence to instil discipline and loyalty in the participants. In conclusion, there are other dimensions of the Islamic terrorism namely Al-Qaeda and Hezbollah.
• War on Terror: Propaganda and Freedom of the Press in the US There was the launching of the “Center for Media and Democracy”, CMD, in the year 1993 in order to create what was the only public interest at that period. There was expansive use of propaganda […]
• Terrorism and U.S. National Security Thomas Jefferson was the author of the Statute of Virginia for religious freedom in the year 1777 as well as the author of the famous United States Declaration of independence in the year 1776.
• Organizations Convincing to Become a Suicide Terrorist One of the underlying tenets taught to candidate suicide bombers is: “Islam is the answer and jihad is the way”. Pathological altruism refers to any behavior or personal tendency in which ‘the goal or motivation […]
• Bioterrorism: Term Review According to Meinhardt, “water supplies and water distribution systems represent potential target for terrorist activity in the United States because of the critical need for water in every sector of our industrialized society”.
• US & UK Human Rights While Countering Terrorism The threat of terror and the further legal reactions of the nations to the problem were considered as challenging, and it is necessary to examine differences and similarities associated with the promotion of human rights […]
• Organizational Change: Models Influencing American Terrorism This paper seeks to discuss the three models of terrorism, the effects of international terrorism locally, and the impacts of international terrorism on local cell groups.
• The Goal of a Terrorist Attack This objective is being accomplished by the mean of exposing people to the graphic accounts of terrorist acts-in-making, as was the case with the attacks of 9/11.
• Local Response to Terrorism Local response to terrorism involves using the resources and the law enforcement officers at the state and county level to detect and prevent acts of terror.
• Adjusting to Terrorism: The Issue of Detention Without Trial The country also needs to train more prosecutors and legal experts so that justice is disseminated to suspected terrorists who continue to be held at Guantanamo Bay without trial.
• Biological Terrorism: Dealing With the Threat It is therefore the responsibility of the recipient of this information to take action to secure his/her life against the potential lethality of the agent in question.
• The Maritime Terrorism Risk and Liability The research describes in detail aspects of maritime terrorism but does not clearly state the research question to be explored. However, in the summary part of the research paper there is several questions implied as […]
• Bioterrorism Preparedness in Healthcare Organizations It is also necessary to carry out a test on the public health emergencies for this would help the department to be aware of the strengths and weaknesses which are in the system.
• Adjusting to Terrorism In the US, the Department of Homeland Security is the primary body that deals with all matters of homeland security, including the prevention of terrorism. As such, the department needs to address it as a […]
• Impact of Terrorism on the Economy The premise of the essay is to evaluate the nature and the nature and the severity of the risks posed by terrorism on IFAD a United Nations specialized agency.
• A Criminal Justice Approach to Suppressing Terrorism The threat of terrorism substituted communism as the rationale which was used for justifying the state of emergency in America prior to 1990s.
• Comparison Between Organized Crime And Terrorism Organized crime refers to unlawful activities conducted by members of highly organized gangs and associations. Its defined by members and activities of a group.
• Boilover: Fire Aspects of the World Trade Center Terrorist Attacks Analysis These includes the intensity of the incident heat on the burning object, the composition of the burning fire, the ability of air that supports combustion to reach the burning fire, the mass of the burning […]
• Secure Transportation System Against Global Terror The good news is that cooperation, coordination, and new technology can be used to secure the global transportation system and halt the activities of terror groups.
• Sharing Terror Data: Criminal Analysis The FBI continuing investigation of the attacks to identify the hijackers and their sponsors, codenamed “PENTTBOM,” represents the largest investigation ever in the history of the agency.
• Torture and War Towards Terrorism An example of mental torture can be explained by the following; Y is a friend to X, they have been caught in the same crime act, Y is then taken to a separate room adjacent […]
• Women and Terrorism Relations The role of women in secular terrorist organizations has been more pronounced in history due to the conservative nature of religious terrorist movements, which often exclude women from their ranks.
• Investigation Methods: Terrorism and Cyber Crime The question on whether the investigations in these areas of cyber crime and terrorism to remain incident driven or to adopt strategic approach are still is of great concern to the security agencies and the […]
• Terrorism: Assessing the Past to Forecast the Future The terrorists groups all over the world, having the knowledge of lethargic weapons held by their enemies, are engaged in the discoveries of how the rapidly growing technology may improve the lethargy of their current […]
• Terrorism Response Strategy The preliminary assessment is performed on the basis that before implementing any rescue operations, the hazards that are contained in the area must be positively identified and the resources available or necessary to deal with […]
• Homeland Security and Terrorism The important root causes of terrorism are mainly two: a perceived sense of social & political injustice such that the group seeks to right the wrong and, the view that violence is the only way […]
• Terrorism Preparedness and Response The third and most important step to take is to switch off the available electrical gadgets to prevent the spread of fire. Of importance to prevent such catastrophes is cooperation from citizens, media, and the […]
• Terrorism Mitigation and Risk In order to avert the danger of possible portable nuclear attacks, it is important to assess the possibility and impact of attacks in the first place.
• Terrorism Risk Assessment: Threat of Al Shabaab and Hezbollah to the USA Attacks such as those that happened outside the US and more are likely to occur due to what Hezbollah perceives as the US posing a threat to its ties with Iran.
• Four Priorities of Action for Combating Terrorism on Our Shores There is therefore the need to employ new pragmatic foreign policy steps that promote the national interest within the broader values of international peace and security if any gains are to be realized in the […]
• The Cyber Terrorism Plan and Counter Strategy The news of hacking the website of the Pentagon will immediately get the attention of the media and this message will spread everywhere at the speed of light.
• The Potential for State Sponsored Terrorism Also, he mainly tries to bring all the enemies of the United States together and he believes that the United States is a devilish country.
• Bioterrorism and Biosecurity The epidemiology of the infection is spread in the world evenly though in some of the parts there is only one form of Anthrax, for instance in the United States of America and therefore our […]
• Bioterrorism and Biosecurity – Aum Shinrikyo The Aum Shinrikyo began their attacks in 1994 in Matsumoto where they used the refrigerator truck to release sarin near the homes of three judges who were overseeing a lawsuit that was predicted to go […]
• Terrorism: A Definition and Analysis The Federal Bureau of Investigation defines terrorism as the perpetration of violence and force unlawfully against people or property with a sole aim of intimidating or coercing the government or the targeted population or any […]
• International Political Economy, Democratization, and Terrorism
• Terrorism Definition at the National Level
• War and Terrorism in the Modern World
• Sociology. Terror and Violence Impacts
• US and Terrorism Relations Overview
• Agro-Terrorism: Definition and Impacts
• Terrorism and Trauma in American Literature
• War on Terror: The Battle Continues
• Terrorism Nowadays: Islamic State of Iraq and Syria
• How Terrorism Affects Airline Security
• Terrorist Networks as a Threat to the United States Today
• Consequence Management and Terrorist Attacks Analysis
• Terrorist Groups’ Establishment: The Theory of Four-Wave Terroristic Groups
• Homeland Security: Terrorism Issue
• Domestic & Global Terrorism and Its legal Aspects
• Crime Myths and Domestic Terrorism
• Terrorist Attacks in Paris, 13th November 2015
• Hue Newton: A Terrorist and a Thinker
• Impact on Terrorist Activities of Regional Governments
• Regional Terrorism: The Bali Bombing, Australian and Indonesian Responses
• How to End Terrorism: Diplomacy or Military Action?
• Terrorism: Methods and Weapons
• Terrorism: Analysis of Definitions
• Screening for Terrorist for Aviation Security
• The Role of Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan in the Fight Against Terrorism
• Terrorist Event Countering: First Responders Risk
• Financing Terrorism: Challenges and Solutions
• Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and Terrorism
• Al Shabaab: An Intriguing Example of Islamist Terror
• Causes and Motivations of Terrorism
• Ali Al-Timimi’s Case of Terrorism
• “The Lessons of Terror: A History of Warfare Against Civilians” by C. Carr
• Biological and Chemical Terrorism: Preparedness and Response
• Legislation Related to Bioterrorism
• Israel’s Response to Munich Terror Attack
• Bioterrorism and Its Harmful Consequences
• The Evolution of Terrorism on the World Stage
• Terrorism and Liberal Democracy: What We Should Know
• Michael Collins and His Terrorist Method
• Biological Weapon and Bioterrorism
• War and Terrorism in Algeria
• Is Terrorism Still the Most Important Security Issue for Australia?
• Primoratz’ Definition of Terrorism
• War on Terror and Its Effect on Individual Right
• Terrorism and Modern Society
• Terrorism: An Objective Definition
• Crimes Against the State: Terrorist Attacks and Death Penalty
• “Nuclear Terrorism: Risks, Consequences, and Response” by Jim Walsh: Stimulating Ideas, Logical Organization, Engaging Voice
• Origins of Terrorism and Solutions
• Terrorists R’ Us: Different Perspectives, the Real Meaning
• Middle-East and Africa Terrorist Movements
• Terrorism in Western Europe: Finland, Denmark and England
• Most Effective Anti-Terrorist Tactics, Organizations in the World
• The History of Ku Klux Klan: A Terrorist Organization Founded in the Southern States After the American Civil War
• The Use of Counter-Terrorism Attacks During the Algerian War of Independence From F.L.N.
• History and Financing of Terrorism: From Time Immemorial to Nowadays
• Comparison Between Secular and Religious Terror
• The Origins of Modern Terrorism
• Cultural Reaction of English Civilians Against Terrorist Situations in Their Country
• Political Violence and Terrorism. Crowd Behavior
• Domestic Terrorism: The Forgotten Threat
• Is Terrorism an Act of War?: Different Types of Terrorism
• Types of Terrorism: Centers Establishment
• Sociology of Terror: Contemporary Sense
• Anti-Terrorists Tactics and Organizations
• Understanding the War on Terror in the United States
• Foreign Policy Challenges Created by the War on Terror
• The Threat of International Terrorism in Modern World
• Middle-Eastern and African Terrorist Movements
• Terrorist Organizations and Funding
• Terrorist Recruitment Process: Who Joins and Why
• Should the U.S. Use Torture on Terror Suspects?
• Nigeria – Preventing Nuclear Terrorism
• Terrorism Impact on Global Business Environment
• Bioterrorism: Impact of Science and Technology
• Terrorism. Irish Republican Army
• Community Policing and War on Terror
• Biosecurity and Bioterrorism
• Terrorism Today and Its Definition
• Religious Violence. Terror in the Mind of God by Juergensmeyer
• Terrorism and U.S. Foreign Policy by P. R. Pillar
• Palestinian Islamic Jihad: Radical Terrorism
• Money Laundering and Terrorist Finance
• Pakistan’s Double Game in the War on Terror
• Eradicated Terrorism in the World
• The Interrelation Between Terrorism and Technology
• War on Terror & Violation of Constitutional Rights
• Media and the War on Global Terrorism
• Is the Geneva Convention Applicable to War on Terror?
• Adjusting to Terrorism in Modern World
• Death Sentence to Muslim Terrorists: Should We Murder People Who Had Done the Same Before?
• How the US is Dealing with Terrorism?
• Terrorism and Security Issues Review
• “Terrorism in Latin America” by Mark Sullivan
• How Terrorist Have Financial and Recruitment Growth Since 1980
• Effects of the September 11, 2001 Terror Attacks on Sino-American Relations
• Recent Developments in the History of Terrorism
• War on Terrorism: Role of Law Enforcement
• Current Issues in Iraq and Terrorism
• War on Terror. 42-Day Detention: An Equitable Solution?
• Early Response to Weapons of Mass Destruction Terrorism
• Terrorism and the Affects on American Way of Living
• Counter Terrorism Measures in the UK
• The War on Terrorism in the United States
• United States & EU Efforts to Fight Terrorism
• Global Terrorism and State Security Measures
• American Governmnet Against the Threat of Terrorism
• Terrorism: 9/11 Conspiracy Theories
• Trends in Global Terrorism. Conflict Resolution and Iraq
• “Terrorism and Economic Security” by Robert L. Hutchings
• The War on Terror Cannot be Won
• Bioterrorism and Health Care Delivery
• Terrorism and Weapons of Mass Destruction
• Terrorism: Countering and Responding to the Treat
• Crimean Crisis and Russian State Terrorism
• Cyberterrorism as a Global Concern
• The United States and Terrorism
• Anti-Terrorist New York City Police Department Shield
• Terrorist Ideologies: Selecting a Target
• A Terrorist Attack on Atlanta, Georgia
• How Counselors Assist Survivors of Terrorism
• Fraud, Money Laundering, and Terrorism Financing
• Comprehensive Terrorist-Related Screening Procedures
• Terrorism and National Security
• Terrorism and Security Dilemma After 9/11
• International Law: Extradition of Terrorists
• The Functioning of Terrorist Groups
• Suicide Terrorism and Its Psychological Factors
• Terrorist Organization: Euskadi Ta Askatasuna (ETA)
• The Great Terror in the Factories, 1935–1938
• Workers During “The Great Terror” by R. Conquest
• “Terror and Democracy at the Age of Stalin” by Goldman
• Female Gender Role in “The Terrorist” Film
• Terrorism Studies and Framing Concept
• Terrorism as Spectacle: Extremist Propaganda
• Terror in the Mind of God by Mark Juergensmeyer
• Counter Terrorism and Public Awareness Plan
• Terrorist Organization Hezbollah: Tactics and Strategies
• The Hezbollah Terrorist Organization
• Terrorism, Social Activism and Political Violence
• “Faces of State Terrorism” by Laura Westra
• Organized Terrorism Against Government Leaders
• War on Terror and Its Victory Meaning
• Terrorism Definitions by the Global Community
• Islamic Terrorism in Ridley Scott’s “Body of Lies”
• Can Terrorism Only Be Defeated by Military Means?
• Terrorist Attack: Contemporary Social or Cultural Issues
• Poverty as a Factor of Terrorist Recruitment
• War on Drugs and Terror and American Promise
• Hazard Vulnerability Analysis and Terrorism
• Terrorist Participation and Its Motives
• The UAE Against Money Laundering and Terrorism Financing
• Cyberterrorism as the Greatest Risk for the US
• Cultural Miscommunication and Hostility Against Muslims
• The Rise of Terrorist Organisations in Post-Invasion Iraq
• Factors That Motivate to Terrorism
• State-Sponsored and Non-State Terrorism
• Terrorism, Human Trafficking, and International Response
• Internet Crimes and Digital Terrorism Prevention
• Vietnam War vs. War on Terror in the Middle East
• Immigration Services Against Crime and Terrorism
• Ideology and Terrorism: Rights from Wrongs?
• Islamic and Christian Religion and Terrorism
• American War on Terror and Operational Strategies
• Death Penalty for Murder by Terrorism
• Local Operational Planning for Potential Terrorist Threats
• Preventing Terrorism: Strategies and Challenges
• Terrorism, Hate Crimes and Racial Profiling
• Terrorism Preventive Measures in the United States
• Aum Shinrikyo Terrorist Group’s Activity
• Bioterrorism Attacks and Nursing Countermeasures
• Intelligence, Civil Law, and Terrorism Investigations
• Terrorism Prevention on the International Level
• Psychological Profiling in Terrorism Prevention
• Terrorism Definitions and Controversies
• Violent Extremism and Suicide Terrorist Attacks
• Al-Qaeda Emergence, Ideology, and New Terrorism
• Terror Attacks and Intelligence Community in the US
• Distressed Terrorism: Politics, Religion and Ideology
• Terrorism or Hate Crime: Similarities and Differences
• War on Terror: Critical Terrorism Studies’ Views
• Egyptian Tourism Industry and Terrorism Effects
• Terrorism and US Activities in the Middle East
• Islamic State Global Terror Threat Countermeasures
• War on Terror in Saudi Arabia and Arab Gulf States
• Saudi Arabian Lone Wolf Terrorism in 2011-2016
• Terrorist Groups: Critical Discourse Analysis
• War on Terror in Central Asia and the Caucasus
• US Intelligence to Prevent Terrorist Attacks
• Terrorism: Power of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria Power
• Female Terrorism: Causes and Features
• Terrorism: the Evolution of ISIS
• Cyber Security’s and Counter Terrorism’ Intersection
• What Are the Global Impact of Terrorism in Business Domain?
• Terrorism and Torture: History and Arguments
• How Does Modern Terrorism Operate?
• Digital Media Usage to Recruit and Promote Terrorism
• Modern Terrorism and Globalization
• Stereotyping Terrorists and Mental Sanity
• Homeland Security Changes: Adjusting to Terrorism
• Propaganda: Terrorist, Government, State, Non-State
• Paternalist Terror in China in 1950-1953
• China in 1950-53: “Paternalist Terror” by J. Strauss
• Terrorist and Government Propaganda in Media
• Human Trafficking as a Terrorist Activity
• Coping with Terrorism in the USA
• Terrorism in the Middle East
• Contemporary Terrorism: The American Army Special Forces
• Conventions on Terrorism in the 21st Century
• Countering Terrorism: The US Intelligence Community
• Terrorism and Its Organisations: Al Qaeda and ISIL
• First Responders to Terrorist Attack
• Violence and Terror Definition Comparison
• The Westgate Terror Attack in Kenya
• Fighting Terrorism: “Iraqi Freedom” and “Enduring Freedom”
• Terrorist Organizations: Al-Qaeda and ETA
• Current Hurdles in Combating Terrorism
• Ethnic, Racial and Religious Profiling in Terrorism
• Halal Food and Terrorist Organizations in Australia
• Osama Bin Laden’s Role in Terror
• Hospitals Security Upgrade: Terrorist or Criminal Actions
• Homeland Security: Basque ETA Terrorist Organization
• International Counter Terrorism’ Elements
• Terrorism: Aspects, Approaches and Implications
• Use of Torture Against Terror Suspects
• Bioterrorism: Biological Agents as Weapons
• Different Methods Against Terrorism: Israel and Palestine
• Terrorism: The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant
• Terrorism: Post-9/11 Maritime Security Initiatives in the USA
• Bio-Terrorism Preparedness and Response
• Jonathan Moreno: Bioethics After the Terror
• What is the Best Way for Fighting Terrorism According to Mortenson?
• The Advanced Community Planning in Response to the Potential Threat of Terrorism
• The Impacts of the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 on the National Intelligence Community
• War on Terrorism: How to Cope With the Global Threat?
• Terrorism and the Global Economies
• The Primary Causes of Terrorist Political Violence
• Terrorism as a Serious Threat
• Rumsfeld’s Memo & The War on Global Terrorism
• Terrorism Handling in Our Life
• Defense Imperatives: “Thwarting Terrorism & Bringing Terrorists to Justice”
• Understanding the Failure of the Global War on Terrorism and Suggestions for Future Strategies
• Counter-Terrorism and the Patriot Act
• Al-Qaeda as a Terrorist Organization
• Financial Markets After Terrorist Assault and The Enron Financial Outrage
• Terrorism, Counter-Terrorism, and Intelligence
• Torture as a Counter-Terrorism Tool in 21st Century
• Lessons From the Mumbai Terrorist Attacks
• Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons to Rogue States and International Terrorists
• Does Poverty Lead to Terrorism?
• Terrorism and Jihadist Movement
• US Exceptionalism in Constructing and Conceptualizing a Terrorist
• American Exceptionalism in Constructing and Conceptualizing a Terrorist
• History of Cyber Terrorism
• “Monsters, Inc.” and the War on Terror
• Economic Concerns in the Aftermath of Terrorism
• Terrorism in International Relations
• Terrorism in Israel and Palestine
• Local, State, and Federal Partnerships: Terrorism
• Hezbollah: A Terrorist Organisation?
• United States Domestic Terrorism
• Impacts of the ‘War on Terror’ on Human Rights
• International Terrorism: The Challenge to Global Security
• Salafist Takfiri Terrorism
• Anti Money Laundering and Combating the Financing of Terrorism
• Weapons of Mass Destruction: The Terrorist Threat
• Terrorists’ Usage of Chemical or Biological Agents
• Cyber Security Threat Posed by a Terrorist Group
• The Effect of Terrorism on Human Rights: The Clash Between the Human Rights Advocates and Victims of Terrorism
• Eliminating Terrorism at the Domestic Level
• Terrorism, Poverty and Financial Instability
• United States War on Terror Policy
• The Real Cause of Terrorism in Palestine
• Terrorism: Searching for a Definition
• Industrial Terrorism in Modern World
• Terrorist Cells and Groups Within the Northern Region of Africa
• Terrorism as a Communication Strategy
• How the U.S. Can Combat the Terrorist Threat in Africa?
• Hypothetical Scenario of a Terrorist Attack
• NYPD Counterterrorism Program
• Terrorism Before and After the September 11 Attacks
• U.S. War in Afghanistan: Pros and Cons
• Orientalist Constructions of Muslim Bodies and the Rhetoric of the «War on Terror»
• Jemaah Islamiyah Terrorist Group
• The U.S. Government Strategies Against the Terrorist Threats
• How Readily Terrorists Can Acquire Nuclear Weapons
• Post September 11, 2001 Terrorist Attacks
• Civil Liberties, Habeas Corpus and War on Terror
• Concept of Terrorism Phenomenon in Modern World
• Handling of Bio-Terrorist Threats
• The Spectacle of Terror
• Foreign Policy: United States and Fight with Terrorism
• Law Enforcement and Terrorism
• What New Demands on Policing Have Resulted From the International ‘War on Terror’?
• Leila Khaled: Freedom Fighter or Terrorist?
• Religious and Secular Terrorism: Analyzing Differences and Points of Intersection
• “Arabic Islamic Culture” and Terrorism: Inherent Concepts or Not?
• Terrorist Acts Prevention and Aftermaths Minimization
• Torture During the Algerian War and Its Relevance on the War on Terror
• The Definition of Terrorism
• International Terrorism: The Operations of the Hezbollah
• The Kurdish Conflict in the Middle East
• The US Anti-Terrorism Efforts Are Failing
• The Media and Terrorism
• Terrorist Groups in Turkey
• Terrorism: The United States’ Involvement
• Terrorism: Can Terrorism Ever Be Justified?
• America’s War on Terrorism
• Terrorism, Its Groups and Categories
• Terrorism in Political Protest
• Impact of Terrorism on Italian Economy
• “What Is the Definition of Terrorism? And Why Is the White House Afraid of Using the Term?” by Timothy Kelly
• Habeas Corpus and the War on Terror
• Civil Liberties, Habeas Corpus and the War on Terror
• Benefits of Preparing for Emergencies and Terrorism
• Preparing for Incidents of Terrorism at the Local Level
• Domestic Terrorism in the Post 9/11 Era
• Bush Doctrine, Explanation of the Administration and War on Terror
• Moral Convictions of Terrorists
• Why Terrorism is a Contested Concept
• Presidential Powers and the War on Terror
• Agro-Terrorism: The Lessons to Learn
• Terrorism: The War on Iraq
• Stereotyping Comparison: All Italians Are in a Mob, All Jamaicans Smoke Weed, All Muslims Are Terrorists
• The Al-Qaida Terrorist Group’s Recent Happenings
• The Fight Against Terrorism by Christian and Islam Leaders
• Is Terrorism Ever Justified?
• The War on Terrorism
• The Terrorist Attacks in the United States
• The Problems of Terrorism in Modern World
• Counter-Terrorism Plans Development
• Consequence Management After the 9/11 Terrorist Attacks
• Intelligence Reform and Terrorist Prevention Act
• Terror and Terrorism
• September 11: Terror Attack and Huge Casualties
• The Concept of Terrorism
• Homeland Security: Collecting Information about Terrorism
• Terrorists and the Left and Right: Definitions & Examples
• Should the USA Use Drones to Combat Terrorism?
• How Are Terrorists Financing Their Acts of Terrorism?
• What Can History Teach Us About Terrorism?
• Why Do Americans Feel More Sympathy for Western Terrorism?
• How Can the United States of America Better Defend Itself Against Terrorism?
• Can the U.S. Prevent Future Acts of Domestic Terrorism?
• What Has Been the Effect of Globalization on Terrorism?
• How Can Businesses Cope With Terrorism?
• Can Democracy Stop Terrorism?
• Should the U.S. Government Be Scared of Cyber Terrorism?
• Why Does Western Europe Experience More Terrorism Than America?
• Are Terrorism and Globalization Linked to Politics?
• What Are the Causes of Terrorism, and How Can It Be Stopped?
• Are Muslim Communities Affected by Counter-Terrorism Legislation?
• Does American Foreign Policy Cause Terrorism?
• Does the Media Encourage Terrorism?
• Does the Terrorism Act Infringe Upon Our Human Rights?
• What Challenges Are Posed by International Terrorism to Democracy?
• How Can the Digital World Lead to a New Type of Terrorism?
• Whose Support Matters for the Occurrence of Terrorism?
• How America Prevents Terrorism?
• Does Higher Education Decrease Support for Terrorism?
• Can Foreign Aid Dampen the Threat of Terrorism to International Trade?
• Should Americans Fear Urban Terrorism?
• Can Illegal Immigration Lead to Terrorism?
• Does Distinguishing Domestic Terrorism From International Terrorism Help?
• Will the American Economy Benefit From the War Against Terrorism?
• Are Some Rights Negotiable When It Comes to Fighting Terrorism?
• Why Has Terrorism Become Such an Important Issue Over the Last 40 Years?
• Will Terrorism Lose Its Significance?
• Chicago (A-D)
• Chicago (N-B)

IvyPanda. (2024, March 3). 528 Terrorism Essay Topic Ideas & Examples. https://ivypanda.com/essays/topic/terrorism-essay-examples/

"528 Terrorism Essay Topic Ideas & Examples." IvyPanda , 3 Mar. 2024, ivypanda.com/essays/topic/terrorism-essay-examples/.

IvyPanda . (2024) '528 Terrorism Essay Topic Ideas & Examples'. 3 March.

IvyPanda . 2024. "528 Terrorism Essay Topic Ideas & Examples." March 3, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/topic/terrorism-essay-examples/.

1. IvyPanda . "528 Terrorism Essay Topic Ideas & Examples." March 3, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/topic/terrorism-essay-examples/.

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IvyPanda . "528 Terrorism Essay Topic Ideas & Examples." March 3, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/topic/terrorism-essay-examples/.

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Evaluating and assessing terrorism prevention programs: what research sponsored by the national institute of justice tells us.

This document analyzes lessons and insights gleaned from terrorism prevention programs, and discusses their implications for future assessment and evaluation processes.

This report presents several projects that provide insights into National Institute of Justice (NIJ)-sponsored evaluations of terrorism prevention programs implemented across different populations, focusing on the process of program evaluation as well as evaluation findings. Important lessons that emerged from the research underscore the importance of gaining community buy-in and assuring program relevance for participants before implementing the programs; program benefits can extend beyond meeting terrorism prevention goals and can be carried out within public health or community resilience initiatives; and evaluative efforts in general face challenges that limit their ability to assess the impact of a program, its adaptability to other places or communities, and the veracity of evaluation findings. The evaluation findings suggest that several activities should be considered when addressing challenges, including the implementation of formative evaluations or evaluability assessments, strategies to limit participant attrition and thus maintaining appropriate sample sizes, and using control or comparison groups as part of the assessment. The report also discusses important gaps and considerations that should be incorporated into future programmatic and evaluation decisions, and suggests that future programmatic, research, and policy-oriented activities may explore and test efforts aimed at incorporating terrorism prevention activities with a broader portfolio of public health and violence reduction-focused efforts.

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7 key questions about the threat of domestic terrorism in America

Does U.S. law enforcement have the tools it needs to stop it?

The deadly assault inside an El Paso, Texas, Walmart on Saturday and a spate of other attacks deemed "domestic terrorism" by U.S. authorities have renewed questions over the threat itself and whether the U.S. government is currently equipped to stop it.

(MORE: FBI will open domestic terrorism investigation into Gilroy Garlic Festival shooting)

In recent months, both Congress and the FBI have grown increasingly vocal about concerns focused on the swelling prominence and influence of white supremacist ideology, especially on the internet. But at times, lawmakers and law enforcement officials have been "talking past each other," as the head of the FBI's Counterterrorism Division, Michael McGarrity, recently put it.

Here are seven key questions often asked about domestic terrorism:.

How is 'domestic terrorism' defined?

"Domestic" terrorists have nothing to do with international terrorism. They are moved to violence by what McGarrity called “domestic influences, such as racial bias and anti-government sentiment.”

"Homegrown" terrorists, on the other hand, fall under the FBI's international terrorism program and are radicalized by overseas groups like ISIS or Al Qaeda.

(VIDEO: What is domestic terrorism?)

The FBI is currently investigating about 850 possible domestic terrorists and tracking another 1,000 potential “homegrown violent extremists,” according to McGarrity and other senior FBI officials.

Is the domestic terrorism threat growing?

"Domestic terrorism notably is on the rise," McGarrity told the House Homeland Security Committee in May. "[And] the threat of domestic terrorism exists in every region of the United States and affects all walks of life."

Specifically, the number of actual attacks carried out by domestic terrorists has risen, and that is why authorities are so concerned.

But the number of domestic terrorism investigations has in fact dropped in recent years -- from about 1,000 two years ago to 850 now. And the number of domestic terrorism arrests has also dropped. In FY 2017, about 150 of the FBI's domestic terrorism subjects were arrested, according to the FBI. In FY 2018, the number dropped to 115, and so far in FY 2019 the number stands at 90.

As McGarrity testified: "We're actually down in cases. But ... [the] velocity is much quicker than it's ever been before."

"There have been more arrests and deaths in the United States caused by domestic terrorists than international terrorists in recent years," he said. "Racially-motivated violent extremists are responsible for the majority of lethal attacks and fatalities perpetrated by domestic terrorists since 2000."

McGarrity noted that of the 850 domestic terrorism cases currently open, about half are what he called "anti-government, anti-authority." Another 40 percent are "racially-motivated violent extremist cases," and "a significant majority" of them "are racially-motivated extremists who support the superiority of the white race," he said.

Like "homegrown" terrorists, however, "domestic" terrorists are hard to stop because they often operate alone.

"When you can go on the internet and find content that justifies what you want to do, your specific ideology whatever that ideology is, that ... makes it harder for us to detect you from a law enforcement perspective," McGarrity said.

Are hate crimes on the rise?

It's not clear. The FBI has seen a surge in reports of hate crimes from local law enforcement agencies, but with as many as 1,000 new agencies now sending data to the FBI, the FBI can't say whether there is a real uptick in hate crimes or just an uptick in data they're receiving.

"[FBI officials] are cognizant of the increase and determining whether it's an increase in data collection and the reporting, or is there actually an increase in hate crimes? I can't answer that," McGarrity noted. "I just know it's an issue they're looking at."

How much of a priority is domestic terrorism for the FBI?

FBI officials repeatedly say domestic terrorism is one of their highest priorities. Nevertheless, the vast majority of the FBI's counterterrorism efforts are devoted to international terrorists, including "homegrown" radicals inside the U.S. inspired by ISIS or Al Qaeda.

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Specifically, 80 percent of the FBI's counterterrorism cases are international terrorism cases, stretching around the world, according to McGarrity. By contrast, 20 percent of the FBI's counterterrorism case are domestic terrorism cases.

Accordingly, 80 percent of the FBI's counterterrorism agents in the field are assigned to work on international terrorism cases, while 20 percent work on domestic terrorism.

Meanwhile, nearly half of terrorism suspects were flagged to the FBI by local police, state police, or members of the public, McGarrity said.

Can the FBI open an investigation based on hateful rhetoric?

No -- not if that's all there is.

As McGarrity said: "We are prohibited from reviewing, looking at First Amendment activity. So if it's speech, if it's ideology -- and it might be alarming -- we are prohibited from that."

Testifying alongside McGarrity, a senior Justice Department official, Brad Wiegmann, put it this way: "We're going to need more than just a statement, depending on what the statement says." Even just a so-called "manifesto" of grievances isn't enough, according to Wiegmann.

But if "it's a statement that indicates threats of violence, we can investigate that," and authorities can investigate "if we have additional information about the individual -- [for example] he has his manifesto but we know the person's out buying a gun, or we have a source inside that says this person we think is is turning violent," Wiegmann added.

Would the FBI and Justice Department like more powers to investigate domestic terrorism, including a 'domestic terrorism statute'?

Yes, depending.

"From my perspective, whether I'm working gangs, MS-13 or terrorism, any tool in the toolbox helps me when I'm looking at that threat everyday as to what my options are and how I can disrupt that threat before an attack," Wiegmann testified. "We're always looking to approve our authorities. And so I think we're certainly open to having a discussion with the Congress if there's interest in the Congress pursuing a 'domestic terrorism statute,' we're certainly open to having that discussion."

Wiegmann suggested that a domestic terrorism statute could mirror current hate crime statutes, which allow for harsher sentences when crimes are committed out of bias and discrimination.

"That would be something that we could do that would be broader on domestic terrorism," Wiegmann said. "Kind of like hate crimes but focused on domestic terrorism."

Wiegmann, however, noted that federal authorities currently have "a whole array of charges" they can bring against domestic terrorists to take them off the streets and deliver justice.

"We can use gun charges, we use explosive charges, we use threat and hoax charges, we can use hate crimes," he said.

But do the FBI and Justice Department want to start designating domestic groups as terrorists?

No, at least not officially. The First Amendment presents a series of challenges and concerns.

The U.S. government designates overseas groups like ISIS as “foreign terrorist organizations,” and it is a federal crime to offer them any “material support.” But Constitutional guarantees of free speech, free assembly and free association make it hard to treat groups based in America the same way.

"We probably would not want ... something that is similar to what we have on the international side, which is designating foreign terrorist organizations," Wiegmann testified. “Designating domestic groups as 'domestic terrorism organizations' and picking out particular groups that you say you disagree with their views ... is going to be highly problematic, in a way that’s not when you’re designating Al Qaeda or ISIS or an international organization."

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Why writing by hand beats typing for thinking and learning

Jonathan Lambert

If you're like many digitally savvy Americans, it has likely been a while since you've spent much time writing by hand.

The laborious process of tracing out our thoughts, letter by letter, on the page is becoming a relic of the past in our screen-dominated world, where text messages and thumb-typed grocery lists have replaced handwritten letters and sticky notes. Electronic keyboards offer obvious efficiency benefits that have undoubtedly boosted our productivity — imagine having to write all your emails longhand.

To keep up, many schools are introducing computers as early as preschool, meaning some kids may learn the basics of typing before writing by hand.

But giving up this slower, more tactile way of expressing ourselves may come at a significant cost, according to a growing body of research that's uncovering the surprising cognitive benefits of taking pen to paper, or even stylus to iPad — for both children and adults.

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In kids, studies show that tracing out ABCs, as opposed to typing them, leads to better and longer-lasting recognition and understanding of letters. Writing by hand also improves memory and recall of words, laying down the foundations of literacy and learning. In adults, taking notes by hand during a lecture, instead of typing, can lead to better conceptual understanding of material.

"There's actually some very important things going on during the embodied experience of writing by hand," says Ramesh Balasubramaniam , a neuroscientist at the University of California, Merced. "It has important cognitive benefits."

While those benefits have long been recognized by some (for instance, many authors, including Jennifer Egan and Neil Gaiman , draft their stories by hand to stoke creativity), scientists have only recently started investigating why writing by hand has these effects.

A slew of recent brain imaging research suggests handwriting's power stems from the relative complexity of the process and how it forces different brain systems to work together to reproduce the shapes of letters in our heads onto the page.

Your brain on handwriting

Both handwriting and typing involve moving our hands and fingers to create words on a page. But handwriting, it turns out, requires a lot more fine-tuned coordination between the motor and visual systems. This seems to more deeply engage the brain in ways that support learning.

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"Handwriting is probably among the most complex motor skills that the brain is capable of," says Marieke Longcamp , a cognitive neuroscientist at Aix-Marseille Université.

Gripping a pen nimbly enough to write is a complicated task, as it requires your brain to continuously monitor the pressure that each finger exerts on the pen. Then, your motor system has to delicately modify that pressure to re-create each letter of the words in your head on the page.

"Your fingers have to each do something different to produce a recognizable letter," says Sophia Vinci-Booher , an educational neuroscientist at Vanderbilt University. Adding to the complexity, your visual system must continuously process that letter as it's formed. With each stroke, your brain compares the unfolding script with mental models of the letters and words, making adjustments to fingers in real time to create the letters' shapes, says Vinci-Booher.

That's not true for typing.

To type "tap" your fingers don't have to trace out the form of the letters — they just make three relatively simple and uniform movements. In comparison, it takes a lot more brainpower, as well as cross-talk between brain areas, to write than type.

Recent brain imaging studies bolster this idea. A study published in January found that when students write by hand, brain areas involved in motor and visual information processing " sync up " with areas crucial to memory formation, firing at frequencies associated with learning.

"We don't see that [synchronized activity] in typewriting at all," says Audrey van der Meer , a psychologist and study co-author at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology. She suggests that writing by hand is a neurobiologically richer process and that this richness may confer some cognitive benefits.

Other experts agree. "There seems to be something fundamental about engaging your body to produce these shapes," says Robert Wiley , a cognitive psychologist at the University of North Carolina, Greensboro. "It lets you make associations between your body and what you're seeing and hearing," he says, which might give the mind more footholds for accessing a given concept or idea.

Those extra footholds are especially important for learning in kids, but they may give adults a leg up too. Wiley and others worry that ditching handwriting for typing could have serious consequences for how we all learn and think.

What might be lost as handwriting wanes

The clearest consequence of screens and keyboards replacing pen and paper might be on kids' ability to learn the building blocks of literacy — letters.

"Letter recognition in early childhood is actually one of the best predictors of later reading and math attainment," says Vinci-Booher. Her work suggests the process of learning to write letters by hand is crucial for learning to read them.

"When kids write letters, they're just messy," she says. As kids practice writing "A," each iteration is different, and that variability helps solidify their conceptual understanding of the letter.

Research suggests kids learn to recognize letters better when seeing variable handwritten examples, compared with uniform typed examples.

This helps develop areas of the brain used during reading in older children and adults, Vinci-Booher found.

"This could be one of the ways that early experiences actually translate to long-term life outcomes," she says. "These visually demanding, fine motor actions bake in neural communication patterns that are really important for learning later on."

Ditching handwriting instruction could mean that those skills don't get developed as well, which could impair kids' ability to learn down the road.

"If young children are not receiving any handwriting training, which is very good brain stimulation, then their brains simply won't reach their full potential," says van der Meer. "It's scary to think of the potential consequences."

Many states are trying to avoid these risks by mandating cursive instruction. This year, California started requiring elementary school students to learn cursive , and similar bills are moving through state legislatures in several states, including Indiana, Kentucky, South Carolina and Wisconsin. (So far, evidence suggests that it's the writing by hand that matters, not whether it's print or cursive.)

Slowing down and processing information

For adults, one of the main benefits of writing by hand is that it simply forces us to slow down.

During a meeting or lecture, it's possible to type what you're hearing verbatim. But often, "you're not actually processing that information — you're just typing in the blind," says van der Meer. "If you take notes by hand, you can't write everything down," she says.

The relative slowness of the medium forces you to process the information, writing key words or phrases and using drawing or arrows to work through ideas, she says. "You make the information your own," she says, which helps it stick in the brain.

Such connections and integration are still possible when typing, but they need to be made more intentionally. And sometimes, efficiency wins out. "When you're writing a long essay, it's obviously much more practical to use a keyboard," says van der Meer.

Still, given our long history of using our hands to mark meaning in the world, some scientists worry about the more diffuse consequences of offloading our thinking to computers.

"We're foisting a lot of our knowledge, extending our cognition, to other devices, so it's only natural that we've started using these other agents to do our writing for us," says Balasubramaniam.

It's possible that this might free up our minds to do other kinds of hard thinking, he says. Or we might be sacrificing a fundamental process that's crucial for the kinds of immersive cognitive experiences that enable us to learn and think at our full potential.

Balasubramaniam stresses, however, that we don't have to ditch digital tools to harness the power of handwriting. So far, research suggests that scribbling with a stylus on a screen activates the same brain pathways as etching ink on paper. It's the movement that counts, he says, not its final form.

Jonathan Lambert is a Washington, D.C.-based freelance journalist who covers science, health and policy.

• handwriting

Scientists want to know how the smells of nature benefit our health

Spending time in nature is good for us. Studies have shown that contact with nature can lift our well-being by affecting emotions, influencing thoughts, reducing stress and improving physical health. Even brief exposure to nature can help. One well-known study found that hospital patients recovered faster if their room included a window view of a natural setting.

Knowing more about nature's effects on our bodies could not only help our well-being, but could also improve how we care for land, preserve ecosystems and design cities, homes and parks. Yet studies on the benefits of contact with nature have typically focused primarily on how seeing nature affects us. There has been less focus on what the nose knows. That is something a group of researchers wants to change.

"We are immersed in a world of odorants, and we have a sophisticated olfactory system that processes them, with resulting impacts on our emotions and behavior," said Gregory Bratman, a University of Washington assistant professor of environmental and forest sciences. "But compared to research on the benefits of seeing nature, we don't know nearly as much about how the impacts of nature's scents and olfactory cues affect us."

In a paper published May 15 in Science Advances , Bratman and colleagues from around the world outline ways to expand research into how odors and scents from natural settings impact our health and well-being. The interdisciplinary group of experts in olfaction, psychology, ecology, public health, atmospheric science and other fields are based at institutions in the U.S., the U.K., Taiwan, Germany, Poland and Cyprus.

At its core, the human sense of smell, or olfaction, is a complex chemical detection system in constant operation. The nose is packed with hundreds of olfactory receptors, which are sophisticated chemical sensors. Together, they can detect more than one trillion scents, and that information gets delivered directly to the nervous system for our minds to interpret -- consciously or otherwise.

The natural world releases a steady stream of chemical compounds to keep our olfactory system busy. Plants in particular exude volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, that can persist in the air for hours or days. VOCs perform many functions for plants, such as repelling herbivores or attracting pollinators. Some researchers have studied the impact of exposures to plant VOCs on people.

"We know bits and pieces of the overall picture," said Bratman. "But there is so much more to learn. We are proposing a framework, informed by important research from many others, on how to investigate the intimate links between olfaction, nature and human well-being."

Nature's smell-mediated impacts likely come through different routes, according to the authors. Some chemical compounds, including a subset of those from the invisible realm of plant VOCs, may be acting on us without our conscious knowledge. In these cases, olfactory receptors in the nose could be initiating a "subthreshold" response to molecules that people are largely unaware of. Bratman and his co-authors are calling for vastly expanded research on when, where and how these undetected biochemical processes related to natural VOCs may affect us.

Other olfactory cues are picked up consciously, but scientists still don't fully understand all their impacts on our health and well-being. Some scents, for example, may have "universal" interpretations to humans -- something that nearly always smells pleasant, like a sweet-smelling flower. Other scents are closely tied to specific memories, or have associations and interpretations that vary by culture and personal experience, as research by co-author Asifa Majid of the University of Oxford has shown.

"Understanding how olfaction mediates our relationships with the natural world and the benefits we receive from it are multi-disciplinary undertakings," said Bratman. "It involves insights from olfactory function research, Indigenous knowledge, Western psychology, anthropology, atmospheric chemistry, forest ecology, Shinrin-yoku -- or 'forest bathing' -- neuroscience, and more."

Investigation into the potential links between our sense of smell and positive experiences with nature includes research by co-author Cecilia Bembibre at University College London, which shows that the cultural significance of smells, including those from nature, can be passed down in communities to each new generation. Co-author Jieling Xiao at Birmingham City University has delved into the associations people have with scents in built environments and urban gardens.

Other co-authors have shown that nature leaves its signature in the very air we breathe. Forests, for example, release a complex chemical milieux into the air. Research by co-author Jonathan Williams at the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry and the Cyprus Institute shows how natural VOCs can react and mix in the atmosphere, with repercussions for olfactory environments.

The authors are also calling for more studies to investigate how human activity alters nature's olfactory footprint -- both by pollution, which can modify or destroy odorants in the air, and by reducing habitats that release beneficial scents.

"Human activity is modifying the environment so quickly in some cases that we're learning about these benefits while we're simultaneously making them more difficult for people to access," said Bratman. "As research illuminates more of these links, our hope is that we can make more informed decisions about our impacts on the natural world and the volatile organic compounds that come from it. As we say in the paper, we live within the chemical contexts that nature creates. Understanding this more can contribute to human well-being and advance efforts to protect the natural world."

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Story Source:

Materials provided by University of Washington . Original written by James Urton. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.

Journal Reference :

• Gregory N. Bratman, Cecilia Bembibre, Gretchen C. Daily, Richard L. Doty, Thomas Hummel, Lucia F. Jacobs, Peter H. Kahn, Connor Lashus, Asifa Majid, John D. Miller, Anna Oleszkiewicz, Hector Olvera-Alvarez, Valentina Parma, Anne M. Riederer, Nancy Long Sieber, Jonathan Williams, Jieling Xiao, Chia-Pin Yu, John D. Spengler. Nature and human well-being: The olfactory pathway . Science Advances , 2024; 10 (20) DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adn3028

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