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                            Library & Multimedia
 Patterns of Precursor Behaviors in the Life Span of a U.S. Environmental Terrorist Group
NCJ Number
              228407
Journal

*Criminology and Public Policy* Volume: 8 Issue: 3 Dated: August 2009 Pages: 475-496
Author(s)
          Brent L. Smith;
                        Kelly R. Damphousse
Date Published

August 2009
Length
              22 pages
Annotation
              This study examined the scarcity of data available for assessing the "life span" of a terrorist group, introducing a methodology which allows researchers to examine when terrorist groups perform their preincident behaviors.
Abstract
              Findings from the study suggest that: (1) temporal and spatial data about preincident terrorist activity could be collected from unclassified and open sources and (2) law enforcement agencies that were investigating environmental groups have relatively little time to observe and infiltrate their individual cells. The data suggest that environmental terrorists have emerged in attacks that were less deadly than the comparison groups. Although the “life cycle” of terrorist groups has been the focus of considerable recent scholarly interest, this type of research remains in its infancy with many methodological challenges. This study explored some of these methodological issues and suggests how these problems could be overcome. It examined variables affecting terrorist groups’ life spans. One terrorist organization was selected, a group of environmental extremists known as “the Family”, to serve as a case study for this analysis. “The Family” has unique characteristics and presents with methodological opportunities regarding terrorist groups’ planning cycles. This analysis of the Family’s activities was extracted from a combination of several larger projects funded by the U.S. Department of Justice, National Institute of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security. Funding was also provided in collecting additional data on international and environmental terrorists. A third project involved the collection of geospatial, temporal, demographic, and legal data regarding terrorism incidents. Figures and references
      
  
          Additional Details
Grant Number(s)
        2003-DT-CX-0003
                                2005-IJ-CX-0200
                                2006-IJ-CX-0037
                                MIPT 106-113-2000-064


  
  
        
  Agencies
        NIJ-Sponsored


  
  
        
  Publication Type
        Report (Study/Research)


  
  
        
  Award
        Terrorism in Time and Space: The Inclusion of Spatio-Temporal Data from Federal Terrorism Cases into the ATS Database
                                Geospatial Analysis of Terrorist Activities: The Identification of Spatial and Temporal Patterns of Preparatory Behavior of International and Environmental Terrorists
                                Pre-incident Indicators of Terrorist Incidents
    
  
  
Date Published: August 1, 2009
    
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