Ongoing Projects
In recent years, school shootings and other forms of targeted violence at educational institutions, once largely perceived as a phenomenon concentrated in North America, have increasingly attracted attention around the world. Europe is no exception, with attacks and foiled plots reported across the continent, including in countries with little or no previous experience of such incidents.
A growing number of these cases have been linked to Nihilistic Violent Extremism (NVE). In particular, online subcultures such as the so-called Com network and the True Crime Community (TCC) have become spaces in which previous school attackers are celebrated and further violence against schools incited. Despite these developments, research into school attacks has largely focused on North America, leaving important gaps in the understanding of the phenomenon in Europe.
This project seeks to address this gap by expanding research into school attacks across Europe and enhancing understanding of:
The modus operandi of school attacks in Europe, including the tactics, targets and methods employed by perpetrators.
Perpetrator profiles and radicalisation pathways, examining the individual, social and ideological factors that may lead to school attacks.
Online environments and communities, exploring the digital spaces in which perpetrators engage and the role these environments may play in encouraging, facilitating or normalising violence.
To this end, ICCT will produce a report examining previous school attacks in Europe and the profiles of the individuals responsible. In addition, the report will provide a snapshot of selected online platforms and communities, shedding light on the dynamics, interactions and mechanisms through which violence is promoted and school attacks encouraged. The report containing the results of this research will be publicly available.
Photo credit: Jackson Emery on Unsplash
About the project
Extra body
School shootings and other targeted attacks on educational institutions, long seen as a North American problem, are now drawing global attention, with attacks and foiled plots reported across Europe, including in countries with no prior experience of such incidents. Many of these cases are linked to Nihilistic Violent Extremism (NVE), particularly online subcultures like the Com network and the True Crime Community (TCC), which glorify past attackers and incite further violence. Yet research has focused largely on North America, leaving gaps in understanding the European context.
This project addresses those gaps by examining the modus operandi of school attacks in Europe, perpetrator profiles and radicalisation pathways, and the online communities that may encourage or normalise violence. ICCT will publish a public report analysing past European school attacks and their perpetrators, along with a snapshot of selected online platforms and the dynamics through which such violence is promoted.
