Using behavioral indicators to help detect potential violent acts
Subtitle: a review of the science base
By: Paul K. Davis, Walter L. Perry, Ryan Andrew Brown, Douglas Yeung, Parisa Roshan, Phoenix Voorhies
Publisher: RAND; RAND Corporation
Published: 2013
Place of publication: Santa Monica
Language: eng
Number of pages: 258
ISBN-13: 9780833080929
Subjects: Terrorism; Prevention; Behavioral assessment; Psychology; Methodology
Description: Government organizations have put substantial effort into detecting and thwarting terrorist and insurgent attacks by observing suspicious behaviors of individuals at transportation checkpoints and elsewhere. This report reviews the scientific literature relating to observable, individual-level behavioral indicators that might -- along with other information -- help detect potential violent attacks. The report focuses on new or nontraditional technologies and methods, most of which exploit (1) data on communication patterns, (2) "pattern-of-life" data, and/or (3) data relating to body movement and physiological state. To help officials set priorities for special attention and investment, the report proposes an analytic framework for discussion and evaluation; it also urges investment in cost-effectiveness analysis and more vigorous, routine, and sustained efforts to measure real-world effectiveness of methods. One cross-cutting conclusion is that methods for behavioral observation are typically not reliable enough to stand alone; success in detection will depend on information fusion across types of behaviors and time. How to accomplish such fusion is understudied. Finally, because many aspects of using behavioral observations are highly controversial, both scientifically and because of privacy and civil-liberties concerns, the report sharpens the underlying perspectives and suggests ways to resolve some of the controversy while significantly mitigating problems that definitely exist.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (pages 225-258).
Table of contents: title: Preface; title: Figures; title: Tables; title: Summary; title: Acknowledgements; title: Abbreviations; title: Introduction; title: Developing intent; title: Planning & laying groundwork; title: Immediate pre-execution; title: Execution and aftermath; title: Technologies and methods; title: Cross-cutting issues; title: Conclusions; title: Appendix A. Methodological notes; title: Appendix B. References and cases to support historic examples; title: Appendix C. References and cases to support indicator tables; title: Appendix D. Information fusion methods; title: Bibliography.