Routledge Handbook of Online Violent Extremism

This new handbook is the first reference work to offer an overview of the problem of online violent extremism and possible solutions to this.

This volume provides the reader with perspectives from the emerging multidisciplinary sub‑discipline of online violent extremism studies, combining historical context with contemporary case studies. Each chapter demonstrates, through its own lens and subject matter, how the myriads of digital platforms and their affordances, digital infrastructures, and the regulatory environment that sits behind them continue to shape violent extremism. Written by leading international experts and up‑and‑coming scholars, the 40 chapters are divided into four thematic sections: Part I, ‘Online Violent Extremism and Regulatory Responses’, begins by providing a conceptual overview of ‘online terrorism’ and ‘online extremism’, examining how the terms terrorism and extremism have been defined and interpreted in the online realm. Part II, ‘Research Design, Methodologies and Ethics’, provides theoretical and practical insights into conducting research in this area. Part III, ‘Online Violent Extremism’, provides an overview of the important platforms, online spaces, and emerging technologies in the field. Finally, Part IV, ‘Ideologies and Actors’, considers historical and contemporarily prominent ideologies, groups, movements, actors, and gender‑related issues, examining how they have utilised online spaces and digital technologies.

This handbook will be of much interest to students of violent extremism, terrorism studies, criminology, security studies, and others, as well as policymakers, law enforcement, and practitioners.