IAPSS Review #Issue 01
Letter from the Editors
Welcome to the first issue of the International Academic Partnerships for Science and Security (IAPSS) Review magazine. As scholars of human behaviour (both psychologists with organisational and social slants), we recognised that a key first step in establishing a shared identity of what IAPSS means to our community of targeted violence and terrorism prevention (TVTP) scholars, was the creation of shared artifacts – the IAPSS Review magazine represents just that.
In this inaugural issue, we feature pieces from scholars based in western democratic nations who are committed to international collaboration for science and security across two key areas: 1) understanding the nature of the threat that each of our countries experiences from terrorism and targeted violence, and 2) describing what our countries are doing about it in terms of prevention.
This issue begins with a sober assessment of threats facing our countries. As outlined by Legault and Kubicek’s introduction to this issue, IAPSS is not solely focused on admiring the threat; but also about prevention programming research. We address both in this issue.
You will first read from Canadian scholars about how changes in the online extremist landscape have made examination of them more difficult: Davies and Hart identify trends such as youth radicalisation, compositive ideologies, and accelerationism impacting both researchers and practitioners in their country. Grossman continues by outlining threats to democratic institutions in Australia, highlighting weakening social cohesion as a key driver. NCITE researchers describe two unique (but converging threats) in America. Simi describes America’s rising tolerance for extremism and political violence—as manifested by threats to her public servants, as a key emerging threat in the US, while Hunter, Doctor, and Parsons identify the democratisation of technology as a key threat from violent extremists with grievance toward the West. Finally, Ireland’s McCafferty brings an examination of what online extremism looks like in a post-October 7th space. The ensuing war and destruction of physical infrastructure have not seemed to impede the ability of Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad to spread propaganda on digital channels.
In section two we turn our attention to prevention efforts. Germany’s Rahlf tests the assumption that prevention should be a whole-of-society approach through a large-scale study across the EU, finding that government practitioners remain the most dominant providers of prevention programming. Scholars in the UK and US jointly advocate to move threat and risk assessment from “state of art” to “state of science.” Netherlands’ author Baudon continues to pull this thread by advocating for the accessibility of monitoring and evaluation to strengthen prevention programs. Finally, Sweden’s Törning shares experiences in developing a support model to prevent violent extremism across Nordic countries.
Professionalisation and sustainability of TVTP is central to the mission of IAPSS. In sections 3 and 4 of the review, we respectively feature concrete strategies to improve research in this field and highlight research from junior scholars who are beginning their journey. Section three features two articles focused on professionalising the TVTP field. American and German scholars, Jensen and Junk, respectively advocate for a global TVTP meta-database to work together to share the most pressing challenges for our countries. The UK’s CREST research to practice fellows offer best practice guidance in translating scientific findings out of universities and into the hands of practitioners and policy professionals.
We conclude the issue with a focus on Early Career Researchers (ECRs). IAPSS supported a travel honorarium for ECRs to meet at Canada’s Megaweek, and continue to support a seminar series where ECRs can share their work and obtain feedback from scholars around the globe. In section four, we highlight research from ECRs in the IAPSS consortium via posters and links to full reports they are writing.
In short, this first issue of the IAPSS review magazine was ambitious. It is our hope that it sparks greater connections across researchers globally, as well as renews our commitment to form this network of networks to identify, fight, and aspirationally prevent the most difficult of problems our nations face.
Gina Ligon, director of NCITE
Stacey Conchie, director of CREST
Co-Editors, IAPSS Review
