The Devil is in the Detail: Assessing Threat-Framing in Violent Extremist Discourses

Abstract

Despite a pivot toward great power rivalry as a dominant security focus, violent extremists of varying ideological types continue to present a dynamic threat landscape. This study aims to further understandings of psychological processes and language indicating support for extremism across ideologies. Theories emanating from social psychology, and the notion of “threat-framing” as a means of necessitating violence by representing out-groups as existential threats were applied to a linguistic analysis of twelve texts authored by extremists of differing ideologies. Threat-framing was detected in all texts. Moreover, threat-framed out-groups were targets of violence, particularly when identified specifically. Practical implications are outlined.