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Making it Easier to Report

An Investigation of Threat-Assessment Related Factors within SAR Reports

This project will build insight into the barriers, like distrust, that prevent local communities from spotting warning signs among members. And it will suggest strategies to improve the reporting of concerning behavior in order to prevent extremist and mass attacks.

Objective/Purpose

This project has two main goals. The first is to document the outcomes of SARs that are evaluated and categorized by Fusion Centers. The second is to identify thresholds for triggering use of a behavioral threat assessment approach with SARs. In this period of performance, work will focus primarily on the first goal.

Methodology

This team will review SAR activity that is complete and in process (75-100 reports each for reports classified as criminal, intel, and threat assessment amenable) using a detailed qualitative coding process. Coding will include threat/behavioral factors including the structure of the threat content, intensity of effort, and threat delivery methods, as well as various SAR process and outcome factors.

Investigators

  • Mario Scalora, University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) Professor of Psychology

  • Denise Bulling, UNL Senior Research Director, Public Policy Center