Understanding and assessing terrorism and violent extremism: A risk assessment approach
Dr. D. Elaine Pressman
Distinguished Senior Fellow and Scientific Expert in the Netherlands Institute for Forensic Psychiatry and Psychology, Dutch Ministry of Justice
EVENT INFORMATION
Date: 5/28/2019
Time: 12pm-1pm
Location: SE1 112 Click Here to RSVP
Event description
Violent extremism and terrorism are two of the most pressing global threats to our safety. This threat has lead policy makers, legal professionals and academic scholars to ask the question, how can we better identify individuals who will engage in violent extremism or terrorism before they engage in this behavior? This presentation will provide information on the background and development of the updated VERA-2R risk assessment approach for violent extremism and terrorism. The VERA-2R risk assessment approach is an individual Structured Professional Judgment (SPJ) evidence-based protocol that includes relevant indicators for ideologically motivated violence. The primary indicators differ significantly from those used in ordinary criminal violent offender risk assessment. The VERA-2R approach applies to to individuals inspired by the spectrum of political, religious, social and other ideologies or values or ideas. This includes right-wing and left-wing extremists, anarchists, Al-Qaeda and ISIS inspired actors, separatists, extreme nationalists, and other ideologically motivated actors. This spectrum-wide approach supports human rights legislation as no one population is targeted. The VERA-2R Is currently used by police, intelligence services and by professionals in prisons on four continents. Challenges which will be discussed include the low base rate of terrorists, the lack of a single terrorist profile, differing motivations of terrorists and problems with the definitive prediction of future violent action.
Speaker biography Dr. D. Elaine Pressman is Distinguished Senior Fellow and Scientific Expert in the Netherlands Institute for Forensic Psychiatry and Psychology, Dutch Ministry of Justice. She is also an Associate Fellow at the International Centre for Counter-Terrorism (ICCT) in The Hague and a Senior Research Fellow at the Norman Paterson School of International Affairs, Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada. Dr. Pressman has been a Subject Matter Expert and Senior Fellow in risk and threat assessment at the Critical Incidents Response Group (CIRG) at the FBI, Quantico, and has been an invited lecturer for senior officials at the FBI National Academy in Quantico, Virginia as well as for other national security related agencies around the world.
Dr. Pressman received her B.A from the University of Manitoba, Canada (Political Science and Philosophy), and M.A. and PhD. (1971) from The Ohio State University, (Behavioral and Communication Sciences). She studied under the renowned Defence Scientist, Prof. Dr. John W. Black, a Regent’s Professor and a leader in defence and communication sciences research in the USA. Dr. Pressman completed post-doctoral work in the Department of Psychology at Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada and followed post graduate studies at the Jung Institute of Analytical Psychology in Zurich Switzerland. She subsequently embarked on a career spanning over 45 years that included academic teaching, research, clinical practice. and government advisory roles on four continents. She has served as a Scientific Expert to the EU, the UNODC, The Council of Europe (PC-CP), the OSCE, and other international agencies. She is a recognized expert in the development, training and implementation of risk analysis and risk assessment for violent extremism and terrorism. Dr. Pressman has also served during her career in a senior representational capacity at major international fora, has been appointed a member of Ministerial Advisory Boards and Expert Task Forces. In 2018, a Knighthood was bestowed on Dr. Pressman by the King of The Netherlands in the highest civil order of the Netherlands. The Knighthood was awarded for her pioneering and significant work on risk assessment of violent extremists and its valued contribution to public safety and security.
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