Skip to main content
University of Nebraska Omaha logo University of Nebraska Omaha
APPLY MY UNO DIRECTORY

Students Faculty Staff Community
University of Nebraska Omaha logo
A U.S. Department of Homeland Security Center of Excellence National Counterterrorism Innovation, Technology, and Education Center (NCITE)
APPLY MY UNO DIRECTORY
Students Faculty Staff Community
  • About Backback to Main menu
    • We Are NCITE
    • Newsletters
    • Our Community
    • Center Directory
  • Research Backback to Main menu
    • NCITE Research
    • Published Reports
    • Annual Request for Proposals
  • News Backback to Main menu
    • News Center
    • NCITE in the News
  • Events Backback to Main menu
    • Upcoming Events
    • ENVISION Conference
  • Get Involved Backback to Main menu
    • Donate to NCITE
    • Job Opportunities
  • Podcast

Brenna Helm

  1. UNO
  2. National Counterterrorism Innovation, Technology, and Education Center (NCITE)
  3. Staff Directory
  4. Brenna Helm
Brenna Helm

Brenna Helm

  • Research Associate
  • NCITE

email:
bhelm@unomaha.edu
office phone:
402.554.3673

Additional Information

Bio

Brenna Helm is a research associate at the National Counterterrorism Innovation, Technology, and Education (NCITE) Center, as well as a Doctoral Candidate (ABD) in the School of Criminal Justice at Michigan State University. She holds appointments as a 2023 RSA Security Scholar and fellow at the Institute for Research on Male Supremacism (IRMS).

Helm’s expertise is centered around extremism and extremists’ use of the Internet with a particular interest in pathways to engagement, the role of gender within extremist movements, and extremist subcultures and communities online. She aims to support the development of interventions and disengagement initiatives though developing a deeper understanding of how behavioral mechanisms manifest both on- and offline, as well as how they vary across digital modalities.

Her work has appeared in the Journal of Crime and Justice, Deviant Behavior, Sociological Focus, and in Critical Criminology. Her work has also been featured in the VOX-Pol Network of Excellence Blog and the Global Network on Extremism & Terrorism (GNET) Insights.

Research Interests

Violent extremism, extremists' use of the Internet, online deviance and extremist subcultures, gender, radicalization, online (dis)engagement

Education

B.A. Sociology, B.A. Psychology; Otterbein University

M.A. Sociology; Ohio University

Doctoral Candidate (ABD), Criminal Justice; Michigan State University

Selected Publications

Helm, B., Scrivens, R., Holt, T.J., Chermak, S.M., & Frank, R. 2024. “Examining an Incel Subculture on Reddit.” Journal of Crime and Justice, 47(1), 27-45.

Liggett O’Malley, R. and Helm, B.. 2023. “The Role of Perceived Injustice and Need for Esteem on Incel Membership Online.” Deviant Behavior, 44(7), 1026-43.

DeJong, C., Holt, K, Helm, B., & Morgan, S. 2021. “’A Human Being Like Other Victims’: The Media Framing of Trans Homicide in the United States.” Critical Criminology, 29(1), 131-49

Additional Information

Bio

Brenna Helm is a research associate at the National Counterterrorism Innovation, Technology, and Education (NCITE) Center, as well as a Doctoral Candidate (ABD) in the School of Criminal Justice at Michigan State University. She holds appointments as a 2023 RSA Security Scholar and fellow at the Institute for Research on Male Supremacism (IRMS).

Helm’s expertise is centered around extremism and extremists’ use of the Internet with a particular interest in pathways to engagement, the role of gender within extremist movements, and extremist subcultures and communities online. She aims to support the development of interventions and disengagement initiatives though developing a deeper understanding of how behavioral mechanisms manifest both on- and offline, as well as how they vary across digital modalities.

Her work has appeared in the Journal of Crime and Justice, Deviant Behavior, Sociological Focus, and in Critical Criminology. Her work has also been featured in the VOX-Pol Network of Excellence Blog and the Global Network on Extremism & Terrorism (GNET) Insights.

Research Interests

Violent extremism, extremists' use of the Internet, online deviance and extremist subcultures, gender, radicalization, online (dis)engagement

Education

B.A. Sociology, B.A. Psychology; Otterbein University

M.A. Sociology; Ohio University

Doctoral Candidate (ABD), Criminal Justice; Michigan State University

Selected Publications

Helm, B., Scrivens, R., Holt, T.J., Chermak, S.M., & Frank, R. 2024. “Examining an Incel Subculture on Reddit.” Journal of Crime and Justice, 47(1), 27-45.

Liggett O’Malley, R. and Helm, B.. 2023. “The Role of Perceived Injustice and Need for Esteem on Incel Membership Online.” Deviant Behavior, 44(7), 1026-43.

DeJong, C., Holt, K, Helm, B., & Morgan, S. 2021. “’A Human Being Like Other Victims’: The Media Framing of Trans Homicide in the United States.” Critical Criminology, 29(1), 131-49

Additional Information

Bio Research Interests Education Selected Publications

National Counterterrorism Innovation, Technology, and Education Center (NCITE)

Connect with NCITE
  • 6001 Dodge St.
  • Omaha, NE
  • ncite@unomaha.edu
Social media
Our DHS Partners
  • Centers of Excellence
  • Science & Technology Directorate (S&T)
  • Office of University Programs (OUP)

Next Steps

  • Visit UNO
  • Request Information
  • Apply for Admission
  • The UNO Advantage
  • Our City (Omaha)

Just For You

  • Future Students
  • Current Students
  • Work at UNO
  • Faculty and Staff
  • A-Z List

Popular Services and Resources

  • my.unomaha.edu
  • Academic Calendar
  • Campus Buildings & Maps
  • Library
  • Pay Your Bill
  • Course Catalogs
  • Internships & Career Development
  • The Maverick Store
  • MavCARD Services
  • Military-Connected Resource Center
  • Speech Center
  • Writing Center
  • Human Resources
  • Center for Faculty Excellence

Affiliates

  • University of Nebraska System
  • NU Foundation
  • Buffett Early Childhood Institute
  • Daugherty Water for Food Institute
  • National Strategic Research Institute
  • Peter Kiewit Institute
  • Rural Prosperity Nebraska
  1. University Policies
  2. Privacy Statement
  3. Accessibility
  1. 402.554.2800

University of Nebraska Omaha
University of Nebraska Omaha, 6001 Dodge Street, Omaha, NE, 68182
  • ©  
  • Emergency Information Alert
  • MavsReport

Social Media


Omaha Skyline

Our Campus. Otherwise Known as Omaha.

The University of Nebraska does not discriminate based on race, color, ethnicity, national origin, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, disability, age, genetic information, veteran status, marital status, and/or political affiliation in its education programs or activities, including admissions and employment. The University prohibits any form of retaliation taken against anyone for reporting discrimination, harassment, or retaliation for otherwise engaging in protected activity. Read the full statement.