Dr. Scrivens conducts problem-oriented interdisciplinary research with a focus on the local, national, and international threat of terrorism, violent extremism, and hatred as it evolves on- and offline. He is currently working on a number of research projects derived from his engagements with front-line practitioners (e.g., law enforcement, intelligence agencies, and social media companies), including a rigorous examination of:
Here he uses an array of statistical techniques (e.g., semi-parametric group-based modeling, growth curve modeling, and interrupted time-series analysis) and machine learning tools (e.g., parts-of-speech analysis, sentiment analysis, decision tree classifiers, word2vec, Sketch Engine, and Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count), as well as collaborates with computer scientists from around the globe to address the above research areas. Much of his work is guided by a life-course framework and social movement theory.
Dr. Scrivens also conducts on-the-ground qualitative research on the following topics:
Most of these projects involve in-depth interviews with law enforcement, community activists, and current and former movement adherents. This work has been well-received by scholars, policy-makers, and practitioners, and thus garnered him a national and international reputation as a leading expert on right-wing terrorism and extremism.
- The role of online media tools and technologies in the facilitation of violent extremism and terrorism
- The intersections of online and offline behaviors of violent and non-violent right-wing extremists
- Developmental pathways of online posting behaviors of the extreme right
- The impact of central offline events on extreme right-wing mobilization online
Here he uses an array of statistical techniques (e.g., semi-parametric group-based modeling, growth curve modeling, and interrupted time-series analysis) and machine learning tools (e.g., parts-of-speech analysis, sentiment analysis, decision tree classifiers, word2vec, Sketch Engine, and Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count), as well as collaborates with computer scientists from around the globe to address the above research areas. Much of his work is guided by a life-course framework and social movement theory.
Dr. Scrivens also conducts on-the-ground qualitative research on the following topics:
- The role of the Internet in facilitating violent extremism
- The role of former extremists in combating violent extremism
- Pathways in and out of violent right-wing extremism
- Endogenous and exogenous factors that facilitate and inhibit violent right-wing extremism
Most of these projects involve in-depth interviews with law enforcement, community activists, and current and former movement adherents. This work has been well-received by scholars, policy-makers, and practitioners, and thus garnered him a national and international reputation as a leading expert on right-wing terrorism and extremism.