The language of terrorists : distinguishing trolls from violent extremists / Julia Ebner.
| Author/creator | Ebner, Julia author |
| Format | Book |
| Publication | New York : Columbia University Press, [2026] |
| Description | 240 pages : illustrations (black and white) ; 23 cm. |
| Subjects |
| Series | Columbia studies in terrorism and irregular warfare |
| Contents | Part I. Trends and challenges -- Eris: when is someone a terrorist? -- Loki: when is someone a troll? -- Understanding shapeshifting -- Kek: understanding gamification -- Sisyphus: finding the needle in the haystack -- Part II. Drivers and detection -- Of pyramids and staircases: the evolution of radicalisation theories -- Fusion effect: an emerging explanation of violent extremism -- Guided judgement: the evolution of professional threat assessment -- Freudian slip: detecting psychological phenomena in language -- Verbal leakage: identifying would-be attackers via language -- Part III. Patterns and prediction -- Decoding the terrorist manifestos -- The terrorist mindset -- Detecting credible threats -- Case study: far-right groups -- Case study: Qanon groups -- Part IV. Solutions and outlook -- Lessons for policy, security and tech -- Ethical limits and lessons from the past -- The future of threat assessment. |
| Abstract | "The Language of Terrorists moves beyond the failing notion that explicit threats of violence are the best markers of potential terrorists. A perfect storm of factors - the overwhelming amount of data now available about us all online, the self-censorship adopted by those who might wish to maintain a presence on popular social media platforms, the evolving modes and manners of our behavior - has made it increasingly difficult to tell the difference between bluster and real intention. This book presents the daring yet carefully grounded argument that detecting subconscious psychological factors in speech might serve as a more reliable predictor of violence than simply taking explicit threats at face value. Ebner examines fifteen terrorist manifestos to distil the patterns found in statements that were published shortly before their authors committed violent attacks and compares them to political manifestos across the political spectrum, demonstrating that the terrorist manifestos demonstrate a unique loss of personal identity in the face of group involvement on the part of the writer. Alongside these analyses, she also considers the ethical implications of looking at writings in this way in terms of free speech, privacy, and political speech, and cautions how rhetorical similarities in terrorist threats and political statements can be easily exploited by authoritarian leaders. The Language of Terrorists takes a novel approach to unpacking this important component of radicalization and terrorist action and what it can tell us about preventing violence while preserving freedom of expression"-- Provided by publisher. |
| Bibliography note | Includes bibliographical references and index. |
| Issued in other form | Online version http://id.loc.gov/entities/relationships/onlineversion Ebner, Julia Language of terrorists New York : Columbia University Press, [2026] 9780231560320 |
| Issued in other form | ebook version : 9780231560320 |
| LCCN | 2025051559 |
| ISBN | 9780231214407 hardback |
| ISBN | 0231214405 |
| ISBN | 9780231214414 trade paperback |
| ISBN | 0231214413 |
| ISBN | ebook |
| Standard identifier# | CIPO000395212 |
Availability
| Library | Location | Call Number | Status | Item Actions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joyner | Item has been checked out | BF637 .E97 E26 2026 | Due 02/21/2027 | Want This? |