A consortium of researchers dedicated to improving the understanding of the human causes and consequences of terrorism

LaFree speaks at National Institute of Justice conference

The National Institute of Justice (NIJ) recently released the video from START Director Gary LaFree's keynote address at the "10-Year Anniversary of 9/11: Advances in Science From Tragedy" conference last year. LaFree's address focused on the status of the terrorism research field pre- and post-9/11. LaFree focused on four different areas in terrorism research to address the changes in the field and how to approach terrorism research from a behavioral and social science perspective.

  • Developing the Global Terrorism Database
  • Understanding terrorist organizations
  • Analyzing the impact of terrorist countermeasures
  • Forecasting the future of terrorism

In addressing these areas, LaFree specifically referenced START and NIJ research that has allowed for advancement in the terrorism research field. LaFree ultimately concluded that the United States is in "much better shape now than pre-9/11 in understanding the behavioral and social science behind terrorism." LaFree's address in full can be found below.