Introduction

Much has been published on terrorism and violent extremism in its various forms. In recent years, nations—especially those in the West, though not exclusively—have primarily faced the challenge of combating Islamist-inspired terrorism. However, other forms of terrorism, such as right-wing extremism and terrorism rooted in racial or populist ideologies, have emerged as equally perilous. Recent developments in research on terrorism and violent extremism have been remarkable and have significantly influenced this volume. This book draws upon the existing literature and conceptualises violent extremism through a multidisciplinary and multi-modal approach, incorporating insights from criminology, social psychology, clinical psychology, sociology, political science, and threat management. Together, these fields form what we term “forensic social sciences.” The book is primarily pedagogical in nature; consequently, each chapter includes case studies or case series. To achieve this, we have ensured that the cases presented vary both geographically and in terms of the types of terrorism they address.