Purpose

Understanding the psychological risk factors in radicalisation and terrorism is typically limited by both a lack of access to individuals who carry out the acts and those who are willing to engage in research on the matter. The purpose of this study is to describe the process of self-radicalisation of an otherwise law-abiding individual who engaged in single-actor terrorism activities.

Design/methodology/approach

A single case study, based on clinical interviews and psychometric testing, of an individual with autism who engaged in multiple acts of terrorism through online activity. The case is presented within existing frameworks of radicalisation, and describes how it developed along the steps described in the path to intended violence.

Findings

A number of variables are identified as contributing towards the individual’s vulnerability to radicalisation, such as deficits in higher order cognition, psychopathology, autism spectrum disorder traits, personal interests, social isolation and life stressors.

Originality/value

Unique to this study is how the process of radicalisation and the possibility to carry out the individual’s attacks was made possible only through the use of internet technology.

中文翻译：

---

在线自我激进化：极端主义和单一行为者恐怖主义激进化的认知脆弱性案例研究

目的

理解激进化和恐怖主义中的心理风险因素通常受到缺乏接触实施这些行为的个人和愿意参与此事研究的人的限制。本研究的目的是描述一个参与单一行为者恐怖主义活动的守法个人的自我激进化过程。

设计/方法/方法

一项基于临床访谈和心理测量测试的单一案例研究，研究对象为通过在线活动参与多项恐怖主义行为的自闭症患者。该案例是在现有的激进化框架内提出的，并描述了它是如何沿着通向故意暴力的路径中描述的步骤发展的。

发现

许多变量被确定为导致个人易受激进化影响的因素，例如高阶认知缺陷、精神病理学、自闭症谱系障碍特征、个人兴趣、社会孤立和生活压力源。

原创性/价值

这项研究的独特之处在于，如何仅通过使用互联网技术才能使激进化过程和实施个人攻击的可能性成为可能。