Defense and Security Studies Commons^™

Informing Lone-Offender Investigations, Randy Borum

Randy Borum

This article examines the current research on targeted violence by lone offenders to inform intelligence and criminal investigations. It begins by analyzing the definitions and nature of lone offender attacks, discusses the role of "radicalization," and the ways in which mental illnesses may or may not be relevant.

A Dimensional Approach To Analyzing Lone Offender Terrorism, Randy Borum, Robert Fein, Bryan Vossekuil

Randy Borum

The challenge of “lone offender” terrorism is a serious one for law enforcement and security services around the world. Though the tactic has been used for hundreds of years, the rising number—in some countries—and diversity of “lone” attacks are increasingly troublesome. Attempts to clearly define the phenomenon, however, have been rather elusive. In this review, we suggest that viewing the dimensions of lone offender terrorism along a continuum, rather than forcing categorical distinctions, may provide a useful approach for classifying or analyzing lone offender attacks. We introduce three dimensions as a starting point for discussion—Loneness, Direction, and Motivation—and attempt to …

Psychology Of Terrorism, Randy Borum

Randy Borum

No abstract provided.

Understanding Terrorist Psychology, Randy Borum

Randy Borum

No abstract provided.

The Science Of Interpersonal Trust, Randy Borum

Randy Borum

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

This document summarizes the state of the art (and science) in interpersonal trust research, describing how researchers define trust and its components, exploring a range of theories about how people decide whether …

Interview And Interrogation: A Perspective And Update From The Usa, Randy Borum, Michael Gelles, Steven Kleinman

Randy Borum

With a renewed interest in, and reliance on, human intelligence (HUMINT), an opportunity exists for the USG to re-examine its policies and practices for interviewing and interrogation to discern whether or not it is relying on best practices that are consistent with American values, international human rights and legal requirements. It is clear that, to protect national security interests, the USG is now – and for the foreseeable future will be – required to gather information form human sources either for purposes of intelligence gathering or for investigations that may lead to criminal prosecution. Broadly speaking, the purpose of these …