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Lone wolf terrorism
Lone wolf terrorism, or lone actor terrorism, is a type of terrorism committed by an individual who both plans and commits the act on their own. The precise definition of the term varies, and some definitions include those directed by larger organizations and small cells. Other names for the phenomenon include lone operator terrorism, freelance terrorism, solo terrorists, and individual terror cells. It is similar to but distinct from the concept of leaderless resistance.
The name 'lone wolf' is derived from the notion of a lone wolf, a pack animal that has left or been excluded from its pack. The term was popularized in the late 1990s by white supremacist activists Tom Metzger and Alex Curtis, and further from the FBI and the San Diego Police Department's investigation into Curtis, named Operation Lone Wolf. Compared to the general population and members of organized terrorist groups, lone wolf terrorists are more likely to have been diagnosed with a mental illness, though it is not an accurate profiler.
While there is no universally accepted definition, a lone wolf terrorist is usually defined as a terrorist who operates on their own without outside help. Many of the definitions vary about key aspects, causing definitional problems and issues in comparative study, compounded by terminology issues. Other equivalent terms, mostly used interchangeably, include lone operator terrorism, freelancers, freelance terrorism, solo terrorists, solo actors, solitary, lone offenders, lone avengers, and individual terror cells, among others.
Other definitions include terrorists who operated solely on their own, but also those who committed an act themselves while being directed by a larger organization, groups of two and small cells. Researcher Christopher Hewitt argued that a terrorist group could only be defined at four or more people, and that if a group was made up of three or fewer members they were still lone wolves, while Paul Gill argued that dyads would qualify. Other scholars criticized this as an "oxymoron" and as negating the entire concept. It is not a legal term or a social science concept; some researchers have argued that the term is constructed by the actors themselves as well as the media, and argue the general concept of lone wolf terrorism is not useful. Furthermore, the distinction of non-ideologically motivated crimes including other spree killings versus terror act can often be difficult to define, and some individuals who were called lone wolf terrorists were found to have acted without ideological motivation. Terrorism itself is difficult to define for similar reasons.
A similar and related but distinct concept is leaderless resistance, also used by terrorists. The descriptor 'lone wolf' is derived from the notion of a lone wolf, a pack animal that has left or been excluded from its pack. The term "lone wolf" was popularized in the late 1990s by white supremacists Alex Curtis and Tom Metzger. The "lone wolf" descriptor is itself controversial even beyond the issue of definition, as some researchers view it as glorifying or glamorizing terrorism, "[giving] the attacker too much credit for cunning and guile". "Lone actor" is often used as an alternative term due to this, and has become popular in academic writings. The United Nations Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate instead uses "terrorists acting alone". Terrorism researcher Jeffrey Kaplan argued against this, saying "that their attacks succeed is proof enough that they do not lack either cunning or guile." In academic writing, the term "lone wolf" in reference to terrorism was possibly first used in Kaplan's 1997 article "Leaderless Resistance" in Terrorism and Political Violence.
Lone actor terrorists are ideologically driven, with political or religious motives, and are intended to create fear and influence public opinion. Lone wolf terrorists may sympathize with and consider themselves part of larger groups, but they are usually not active participants. The links between lone wolves and actual terrorist groups tend to be informal and conducted online.
Compared to the general population, lone wolf terrorists are significantly more likely to have been diagnosed with a mental illness, although it is not an accurate profiler. Studies have found that roughly a third of lone wolf terrorists have been diagnosed at some point in their life with a mental illness. This puts lone wolves as being 13.5 times more likely to suffer from a mental illness than a member of an organized terrorist group, such as al-Qaeda or ISIS. Environmental factors such as relationships with those belonging to a terrorist group, social isolation, and various stressors mediate the relationship between mental illness and lone wolf terrorism. Mental health challenges are thought to make some individuals among the many who suffer from certain "psychological disturbances", vulnerable to being inspired by extremist ideologies to commit acts of lone wolf terrorism. An alternative explanation is that terrorist groups reject those with mental illnesses as they pose a security risk, creating a selection bias.
Lone wolf attacks are rarely committed solely without help by genuine loners. A 2011 typology based on an analysis of lone wolf operations by Raffaello Pantucci defined four categories of lone wolf: Loner, Lone Wolf, Lone Wolf Pack, and Lone Attacker. As defined in his typology:
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Lone wolf terrorism
Lone wolf terrorism, or lone actor terrorism, is a type of terrorism committed by an individual who both plans and commits the act on their own. The precise definition of the term varies, and some definitions include those directed by larger organizations and small cells. Other names for the phenomenon include lone operator terrorism, freelance terrorism, solo terrorists, and individual terror cells. It is similar to but distinct from the concept of leaderless resistance.
The name 'lone wolf' is derived from the notion of a lone wolf, a pack animal that has left or been excluded from its pack. The term was popularized in the late 1990s by white supremacist activists Tom Metzger and Alex Curtis, and further from the FBI and the San Diego Police Department's investigation into Curtis, named Operation Lone Wolf. Compared to the general population and members of organized terrorist groups, lone wolf terrorists are more likely to have been diagnosed with a mental illness, though it is not an accurate profiler.
While there is no universally accepted definition, a lone wolf terrorist is usually defined as a terrorist who operates on their own without outside help. Many of the definitions vary about key aspects, causing definitional problems and issues in comparative study, compounded by terminology issues. Other equivalent terms, mostly used interchangeably, include lone operator terrorism, freelancers, freelance terrorism, solo terrorists, solo actors, solitary, lone offenders, lone avengers, and individual terror cells, among others.
Other definitions include terrorists who operated solely on their own, but also those who committed an act themselves while being directed by a larger organization, groups of two and small cells. Researcher Christopher Hewitt argued that a terrorist group could only be defined at four or more people, and that if a group was made up of three or fewer members they were still lone wolves, while Paul Gill argued that dyads would qualify. Other scholars criticized this as an "oxymoron" and as negating the entire concept. It is not a legal term or a social science concept; some researchers have argued that the term is constructed by the actors themselves as well as the media, and argue the general concept of lone wolf terrorism is not useful. Furthermore, the distinction of non-ideologically motivated crimes including other spree killings versus terror act can often be difficult to define, and some individuals who were called lone wolf terrorists were found to have acted without ideological motivation. Terrorism itself is difficult to define for similar reasons.
A similar and related but distinct concept is leaderless resistance, also used by terrorists. The descriptor 'lone wolf' is derived from the notion of a lone wolf, a pack animal that has left or been excluded from its pack. The term "lone wolf" was popularized in the late 1990s by white supremacists Alex Curtis and Tom Metzger. The "lone wolf" descriptor is itself controversial even beyond the issue of definition, as some researchers view it as glorifying or glamorizing terrorism, "[giving] the attacker too much credit for cunning and guile". "Lone actor" is often used as an alternative term due to this, and has become popular in academic writings. The United Nations Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate instead uses "terrorists acting alone". Terrorism researcher Jeffrey Kaplan argued against this, saying "that their attacks succeed is proof enough that they do not lack either cunning or guile." In academic writing, the term "lone wolf" in reference to terrorism was possibly first used in Kaplan's 1997 article "Leaderless Resistance" in Terrorism and Political Violence.
Lone actor terrorists are ideologically driven, with political or religious motives, and are intended to create fear and influence public opinion. Lone wolf terrorists may sympathize with and consider themselves part of larger groups, but they are usually not active participants. The links between lone wolves and actual terrorist groups tend to be informal and conducted online.
Compared to the general population, lone wolf terrorists are significantly more likely to have been diagnosed with a mental illness, although it is not an accurate profiler. Studies have found that roughly a third of lone wolf terrorists have been diagnosed at some point in their life with a mental illness. This puts lone wolves as being 13.5 times more likely to suffer from a mental illness than a member of an organized terrorist group, such as al-Qaeda or ISIS. Environmental factors such as relationships with those belonging to a terrorist group, social isolation, and various stressors mediate the relationship between mental illness and lone wolf terrorism. Mental health challenges are thought to make some individuals among the many who suffer from certain "psychological disturbances", vulnerable to being inspired by extremist ideologies to commit acts of lone wolf terrorism. An alternative explanation is that terrorist groups reject those with mental illnesses as they pose a security risk, creating a selection bias.
Lone wolf attacks are rarely committed solely without help by genuine loners. A 2011 typology based on an analysis of lone wolf operations by Raffaello Pantucci defined four categories of lone wolf: Loner, Lone Wolf, Lone Wolf Pack, and Lone Attacker. As defined in his typology: