Lethal Words: An Integrated Model of Violent Extremists’ Language

Baele, Stephane J.;Boyd, Katharine;Coan, Travis G.;Naserian, Elahe
(2023) Studies in Conflict & Terrorism — Vol. 49, n° 2, p. 119-144 (2023)

Files

Lethal Words An Integrated Model of Violent Extremists Language (2).pdf
  • Open Access
  • Adobe PDF
  • 6.5 MB
Download

Details

Authors
  • Baele, Stephane J.orcid-logoDepartment of Social and Political Sciences, Philosophy, & Anthropology, Centre for Advanced International Studies (CAIS), University of Exeter
    Author
  • Boyd, KatharineDepartment of Social and Political Sciences, Philosophy, & Anthropology, Q-STEP Centre, University of Exeter
    Author
  • Coan, Travis G.orcid-logoDepartment of Social and Political Sciences, Philosophy, & Anthropology, Q-STEP Centre, University of Exeter
    Author
  • Naserian, ElaheDepartment of Social and Political Sciences, Philosophy, & Anthropology, Q-STEP Centre, University of Exeter
    Author
Abstract
Violent extremists’ communications regularly yield lethal consequences. Yet despite this importance, no clear framework yet exists that exposes in a coherent way the various markers of violent extremist language. We construct a theoretical model of violent extremists’ language, integrating and refining existing approaches from different academic fields into a comprehensive account of its semantic content and structure. We evidence the empirical accuracy of this model by applying on the magazines of two ideologically different extremist groups (ISIS and US National-Socialist Movement) a bespoke computational text analysis method revealing the specific connections between the nouns, verbs, and adjectives of violent extremist corpora identified in our theoretical model.
Affiliations

Citations

  • APA
  • Chicago
  • FWB

Baele, S. J., Boyd, K., Coan, T. G., & Naserian, E. (2023). Lethal Words: An Integrated Model of Violent Extremists’ Language. Studies in Conflict & Terrorism, 49(2), 119-144. https://doi.org/10.1080/1057610X.2023.2213963 (Original work published 2023)