What can we learn from terrorist recruitment to help better understand, anticipate, and prevent attacks?

Terrorist Groups Are Who They Recruit

So What?

Extremist groups recruit based on specific characteristics, including military background and professional expertise. Past research shows the more educated and trained recruits are, the more lethal terrorist groups are.

Project Summary

This research project aims to enhance our knowledge of terrorist organizations’ recruitment tactics and how those tactics affect a group's violent behavior. Characteristics of recruits will be compared against group capabilities.

Purpose/Objectives

This study examines terrorist recruitment characteristics (such as military experience, professional expertise, age, gender, and education) against terrorist groups’ many operational characteristics (like lethality, success, complexity, innovation, and target types). This study will also evaluate recruitment dynamics and success among contemporary groups operating in the U.S.

Method

This multi-method study is broken into four stages:

Stage 1 commissioned a series of expert reports on how specific recruitment characteristics shape operational patterns among a sample of armed groups.

Based on the findings of Stage 1, Stage 2 (2023-2024) will examine how membership characteristics are linked to the behavior of armed groups cross-nationally and over time through open-source documents.

Stage 3 (2024-2025) will test and apply the insights from Stages 1 and 2 against violent extremist organizations presently operating in the U.S. through the use of open-source documents.

Finally, in Stage 4 the researchers will develop a comprehensive report to provide a framework for anticipating terrorist threats based on groups’ recruitment practices.

Outputs and Impact

• Seven expert reports
• One new data set
• Qualitative analyses
• One comprehensive report that offers a succinct framework for anticipating terrorist threats as a function of their recruitment practices
• Yearly briefings and interim findings shared with DHS

	Evan Perkoski, Ph.D. University of Connecticut Assistant Professor and Director of Undergraduate Studies Department of Political Science Expertise: Terrorism, insurgency, violent uprisings
	Meredith Loken, Ph.D. University of Amsterdam Assistant Professor Political Science Expertise: Violent actors’ gender dynamics and legitimacy
	Alec Worsnop, Ph.D. University of Maryland – College Park Assistant Professor School of Public Policy Expertise: Political violence, international security