Steven Chermak
Biographic Data
| ID | 256623 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Steven Chermak |
| GIVEN NAMES | Steven |
| FAMILY NAME | Chermak |
| SIGNATURE | CHERMAK S |
| AFFILIATIONS | Michigan State University |
| VERIFIED | No |
| TOTAL WORKS | 21 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 82 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 20 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 1 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 1998 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 5 |
Examining the influence of violent extremist group membership on online behavior among violent and non-violent right-wing extremists
Identifying violent extremists online before their engagement in physical violence is an ongoing need for researchers, practitioners, and policymakers around the world. Yet the evidence base about their posting footprints or differences in their online behaviors compared to their non-violent counterparts is noticeably scarce. Even less is empirically known about the relationship between their posting behaviors, membership in a violent extremist g…
Distinguishing Violent and Non-violent Criminal Extremists Based on Risk and Protective Factors
Bias-Motivated Violence and the Likelihood of Fatal Outcomes
This study examines how bystanders and situational factors influence if bias violence results in fatal outcomes. Utilizing the criminal event perspective and routine activities theory, we hypothesize that certain situational factors, such as gun use and private locations, increase the likelihood of fatal outcomes, while bystander presence reduces it. Data come from the Bias Homicide Database, an open-source database that includes data on bias mur…
Approaches to Defining the “Hate Element” of a Behavior
This article addresses the proliferation of definitions and approaches used to characterize the hate element in behaviors motivated by hate, including hate crimes, hate speech, and behaviors motivated by prejudice against specific identities (e.g., homophobia, anti-Semitism, Islamophobia), and investigates whether these definitions cluster into distinct types. Using machine learning, we clustered 423 definitions from academic and gray literature …
An Assessment of the Harms Associated With Ideologically Motivated Cyberattacks
There has been a dramatic increase in research on terrorism and extremist activities over the last two decades. Despite this growth, the majority of studies focus on either the harm caused by ideologically-motivated violence in physical spaces, or the ways in which individuals radicalize and organize in online spaces. There is growing evidence that traditional extremist groups and terrorists engage in cyberattacks, such as computer hacking, in su…
What Went Wrong
Terrorism plots fail more often than they succeed, and while understanding why a plot comes to fruition can inform prevention strategies not considered before, it is equally important to identify the factors that most frequently lead to unsuccessful outcomes. To address this, the study draws from a situational crime prevention (SCP) framework to examine the structured opportunities of far-right plots in the United States using data from the Extre…
Pre-Attack Warning Behaviors of 20 Adolescent School Shooters
This study examines the pre-attack warning behaviors of adolescent school shooters in the US. We conducted 20 case studies of adolescent school shooters in the United States that committed non-fatal or fatal shootings on K-12 school grounds between 1999 and 2016. We investigate whether the school shooters displayed warning behaviors before the attack, who in the perpetrator’s life was aware of these warning behaviors, and what if any actions were…
When and How Does Anti-Semitism Occur? the Different Trigger Mechanisms Associated with Different Types of Criminal and Non-Criminal Hate Incidents
We used data from an Australian community register to build a database containing 673 incidents, including both criminal and non-criminal anti-Semitic acts that occurred between October 2013 and September 2017. We conducted bivariate and multivariate analyses to explore the differences in the types of incidents associated with different trigger events. Using time series methods, we found a significant increase in criminal (but not in non-criminal…
American Jihadi Terrorism
While the number of American jihadi terrorist attacks remains relatively rare, terrorist plots thwarted by law enforcement have increased since September 11, 2001. Although these law enforcement blocks of would-be terrorists are considered counterterrorism triumphs by the FBI, human rights and civil liberty watch groups have conversely suggested that those who plan for attacks alongside government informants and undercover agents may be unique an…
The Influence of External and Internal Correlates on the Organizational Death of Domestic Far-Right Extremist Groups
The domestic far-right movement has existed in the United States for many years. During that time, groups have appeared, disappeared, and reappeared. Unfortunately, very little is known about what causes these groups to disband. An interdisciplinary approach identified external and internal correlates of organizational death to empirically test which of these correlates influences whether a group dies. Results from this study provided empirical s…
Laying a Foundation for the Criminological Examination of Right-Wing, Left-Wing, and Al Qaeda-Inspired Extremism in the United States
Despite several overlaps between crime and terrorism, criminological examinations of terrorism to date have been limited. To fill this gap in the research, we examine several individual and contextual socio-demographic characteristics of a diverse sample of extremists operating in the United States who have committed violent crimes. In addition, we provide a comparative analysis to explain and understand differences between extremists who have co…
The Organizational Dynamics of Far-Right Hate Groups in the United States
Few studies have explored the factors that distinguish violent from nonviolent far-right hate groups. We examine four categories of factors on hate groups: (1) Organizational capacity, (2) Organizational constituency, (3) Strategic connectivity, and (4) Structural arrangements. Age and size, groups in conflict, groups led by charismatic leaders, groups that advocated for leaderless resistance tactics, and region increased a group's propensity to …
Far-Right Lone Wolf Homicides in the United States
Little is known about the nature of far-right lone wolf terrorism and how this form of violence varies across different types of suspects. Relying on data from the Extremist Crime Database (ECDB), we comparatively examine characteristics of far-right homicides in the United States perpetrated by suspects with no evident affiliations with domestic terrorist organizations. Surprisingly, we found that this form of lone wolf terrorism has generally n…
Product counterfeiting
With this special issue, the International Journal of Comparative and Applied Criminal Justice breaks new ground. It focuses entirely on an understudied but globally important problem – product cou
Tabloid Justice
Predicting crime story salience
Media coverage of police misconduct and attitudes toward police
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine how celebrated cases affect attitudes toward police, controlling for key demographic, police contact, and neighborhood contextual variables. Design/methodology/approach The paper presents two waves of public opinion data measuring attitudes toward police, police services, police harassment, and officer guilt before and after a celebrated police misconduct trial. Data were collected by telephone from…
Maintaining legitimacy using external communication strategies
Media Representations of September 11
The terrorist attacks on September 11th were unique and unprecedented in many ways, but the day will stand in our memories particularly because of our ability to watch the spectacle unfold. The blazing towers crumbling into dust, black smoke rising from the Pentagon, the unrecognizable remains of a fourth airplane in a quiet Pennsylvania fieldâ these images, while disturbing and surreal, provide an important vehicle for interdisciplinary dialogue…
Activity-based learning of statistics
Many obstacles are involved in teaching statistics to undergraduates, including high attrition rates, students' anxiety, and a limited ability to grasp difficult concepts. These concerns can be addressed effectively by implementing strategies that require students to be actively engaged in the learning of statistics. First, we discuss how activity-based strategies and information technology can be an effective way to teach a statistics course. Se…
Predicting crime story salience
The Organizational Dynamics of Far-Right Hate Groups in the United States
Few studies have explored the factors that distinguish violent from nonviolent far-right hate groups. We examine four categories of factors on hate groups: (1) Organizational capacity, (2) Organizational constituency, (3) Strategic connectivity, and (4) Structural arrangements. Age and size, groups in conflict, groups led by charismatic leaders, groups that advocated for leaderless resistance tactics, and region increased a group's propensity to …
Maintaining legitimacy using external communication strategies
Far-Right Lone Wolf Homicides in the United States
Little is known about the nature of far-right lone wolf terrorism and how this form of violence varies across different types of suspects. Relying on data from the Extremist Crime Database (ECDB), we comparatively examine characteristics of far-right homicides in the United States perpetrated by suspects with no evident affiliations with domestic terrorist organizations. Surprisingly, we found that this form of lone wolf terrorism has generally n…
Laying a Foundation for the Criminological Examination of Right-Wing, Left-Wing, and Al Qaeda-Inspired Extremism in the United States
Despite several overlaps between crime and terrorism, criminological examinations of terrorism to date have been limited. To fill this gap in the research, we examine several individual and contextual socio-demographic characteristics of a diverse sample of extremists operating in the United States who have committed violent crimes. In addition, we provide a comparative analysis to explain and understand differences between extremists who have co…
Predicting crime story salience
When and How Does Anti-Semitism Occur? the Different Trigger Mechanisms Associated with Different Types of Criminal and Non-Criminal Hate Incidents
We used data from an Australian community register to build a database containing 673 incidents, including both criminal and non-criminal anti-Semitic acts that occurred between October 2013 and September 2017. We conducted bivariate and multivariate analyses to explore the differences in the types of incidents associated with different trigger events. Using time series methods, we found a significant increase in criminal (but not in non-criminal…
The Influence of External and Internal Correlates on the Organizational Death of Domestic Far-Right Extremist Groups
The domestic far-right movement has existed in the United States for many years. During that time, groups have appeared, disappeared, and reappeared. Unfortunately, very little is known about what causes these groups to disband. An interdisciplinary approach identified external and internal correlates of organizational death to empirically test which of these correlates influences whether a group dies. Results from this study provided empirical s…
Predicting crime story salience
American Jihadi Terrorism
While the number of American jihadi terrorist attacks remains relatively rare, terrorist plots thwarted by law enforcement have increased since September 11, 2001. Although these law enforcement blocks of would-be terrorists are considered counterterrorism triumphs by the FBI, human rights and civil liberty watch groups have conversely suggested that those who plan for attacks alongside government informants and undercover agents may be unique an…
Predicting crime story salience
Activity-based learning of statistics
Many obstacles are involved in teaching statistics to undergraduates, including high attrition rates, students' anxiety, and a limited ability to grasp difficult concepts. These concerns can be addressed effectively by implementing strategies that require students to be actively engaged in the learning of statistics. First, we discuss how activity-based strategies and information technology can be an effective way to teach a statistics course. Se…
Media Representations of September 11
The terrorist attacks on September 11th were unique and unprecedented in many ways, but the day will stand in our memories particularly because of our ability to watch the spectacle unfold. The blazing towers crumbling into dust, black smoke rising from the Pentagon, the unrecognizable remains of a fourth airplane in a quiet Pennsylvania fieldâ these images, while disturbing and surreal, provide an important vehicle for interdisciplinary dialogue…
Maintaining legitimacy using external communication strategies
Media coverage of police misconduct and attitudes toward police
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine how celebrated cases affect attitudes toward police, controlling for key demographic, police contact, and neighborhood contextual variables. Design/methodology/approach The paper presents two waves of public opinion data measuring attitudes toward police, police services, police harassment, and officer guilt before and after a celebrated police misconduct trial. Data were collected by telephone from…
Predicting crime story salience
Tabloid Justice
Product counterfeiting
With this special issue, the International Journal of Comparative and Applied Criminal Justice breaks new ground. It focuses entirely on an understudied but globally important problem – product cou
The Organizational Dynamics of Far-Right Hate Groups in the United States
Few studies have explored the factors that distinguish violent from nonviolent far-right hate groups. We examine four categories of factors on hate groups: (1) Organizational capacity, (2) Organizational constituency, (3) Strategic connectivity, and (4) Structural arrangements. Age and size, groups in conflict, groups led by charismatic leaders, groups that advocated for leaderless resistance tactics, and region increased a group's propensity to …
Far-Right Lone Wolf Homicides in the United States
Little is known about the nature of far-right lone wolf terrorism and how this form of violence varies across different types of suspects. Relying on data from the Extremist Crime Database (ECDB), we comparatively examine characteristics of far-right homicides in the United States perpetrated by suspects with no evident affiliations with domestic terrorist organizations. Surprisingly, we found that this form of lone wolf terrorism has generally n…
The Influence of External and Internal Correlates on the Organizational Death of Domestic Far-Right Extremist Groups
The domestic far-right movement has existed in the United States for many years. During that time, groups have appeared, disappeared, and reappeared. Unfortunately, very little is known about what causes these groups to disband. An interdisciplinary approach identified external and internal correlates of organizational death to empirically test which of these correlates influences whether a group dies. Results from this study provided empirical s…
Laying a Foundation for the Criminological Examination of Right-Wing, Left-Wing, and Al Qaeda-Inspired Extremism in the United States
Despite several overlaps between crime and terrorism, criminological examinations of terrorism to date have been limited. To fill this gap in the research, we examine several individual and contextual socio-demographic characteristics of a diverse sample of extremists operating in the United States who have committed violent crimes. In addition, we provide a comparative analysis to explain and understand differences between extremists who have co…
American Jihadi Terrorism
While the number of American jihadi terrorist attacks remains relatively rare, terrorist plots thwarted by law enforcement have increased since September 11, 2001. Although these law enforcement blocks of would-be terrorists are considered counterterrorism triumphs by the FBI, human rights and civil liberty watch groups have conversely suggested that those who plan for attacks alongside government informants and undercover agents may be unique an…
Pre-Attack Warning Behaviors of 20 Adolescent School Shooters
This study examines the pre-attack warning behaviors of adolescent school shooters in the US. We conducted 20 case studies of adolescent school shooters in the United States that committed non-fatal or fatal shootings on K-12 school grounds between 1999 and 2016. We investigate whether the school shooters displayed warning behaviors before the attack, who in the perpetrator’s life was aware of these warning behaviors, and what if any actions were…
When and How Does Anti-Semitism Occur? the Different Trigger Mechanisms Associated with Different Types of Criminal and Non-Criminal Hate Incidents
We used data from an Australian community register to build a database containing 673 incidents, including both criminal and non-criminal anti-Semitic acts that occurred between October 2013 and September 2017. We conducted bivariate and multivariate analyses to explore the differences in the types of incidents associated with different trigger events. Using time series methods, we found a significant increase in criminal (but not in non-criminal…
Bias-Motivated Violence and the Likelihood of Fatal Outcomes
This study examines how bystanders and situational factors influence if bias violence results in fatal outcomes. Utilizing the criminal event perspective and routine activities theory, we hypothesize that certain situational factors, such as gun use and private locations, increase the likelihood of fatal outcomes, while bystander presence reduces it. Data come from the Bias Homicide Database, an open-source database that includes data on bias mur…
Approaches to Defining the “Hate Element” of a Behavior
This article addresses the proliferation of definitions and approaches used to characterize the hate element in behaviors motivated by hate, including hate crimes, hate speech, and behaviors motivated by prejudice against specific identities (e.g., homophobia, anti-Semitism, Islamophobia), and investigates whether these definitions cluster into distinct types. Using machine learning, we clustered 423 definitions from academic and gray literature …
An Assessment of the Harms Associated With Ideologically Motivated Cyberattacks
There has been a dramatic increase in research on terrorism and extremist activities over the last two decades. Despite this growth, the majority of studies focus on either the harm caused by ideologically-motivated violence in physical spaces, or the ways in which individuals radicalize and organize in online spaces. There is growing evidence that traditional extremist groups and terrorists engage in cyberattacks, such as computer hacking, in su…
What Went Wrong
Terrorism plots fail more often than they succeed, and while understanding why a plot comes to fruition can inform prevention strategies not considered before, it is equally important to identify the factors that most frequently lead to unsuccessful outcomes. To address this, the study draws from a situational crime prevention (SCP) framework to examine the structured opportunities of far-right plots in the United States using data from the Extre…
Examining the influence of violent extremist group membership on online behavior among violent and non-violent right-wing extremists
Identifying violent extremists online before their engagement in physical violence is an ongoing need for researchers, practitioners, and policymakers around the world. Yet the evidence base about their posting footprints or differences in their online behaviors compared to their non-violent counterparts is noticeably scarce. Even less is empirically known about the relationship between their posting behaviors, membership in a violent extremist g…
Distinguishing Violent and Non-violent Criminal Extremists Based on Risk and Protective Factors
Psychology (12 works) · Criminology (11 works) · Terrorism, Counterterrorism, and Political Violence (11 works) · Law (10 works) · Political science (10 works) · Social Psychology (9 works) · Computer Science (7 works) · Crime Patterns and Interventions (6 works) · Law (6 works) · Poison control (6 works)