Lone Actor Terrorism

This chapter outlines the main research findings in relation to lone actor terrorism from the past decade of work. The results are clustered across seven core themes. The authors explore (1) the heterogeneity of lone actors in terms of their sociodemographic characteristics; (2) the degree to which people within the lone actor’s social or physical space were aware of a plot developing; (3) the prevalence and forms of mental disorders within lone actor samples and how they differ from what you would expect in the general population; (4) the relationship between offline and online forms of radicalization; (5) their similarity with other forms of violent lone offenders who conduct violence in public spaces; (6) what attack planning looks like; and (7) the key role protective factors might play.