The Global Network on Extremism and Technology (GNET) has published a new report that studies the trauma-related effects of exposure to terrorist propaganda on researchers and scholars. GNET’s research consisted of two methods: an online survey administered to a group of leading terrorism scholars; and an experiment using an eye‑tracker and a biofeedback device to measure short-term psychophysiological reactions to terrorist content.

Among the study’s key findings were that most of the survey participants had experienced mental harm at least once from exposure to terrorist content. Some of the most harmful types of content were scenes of death/dying and the suffering of civilian populations. Effective coping strategies were reported by some; including using humor, reducing screen time, and adopting an analytical mindset in dealing with extremist content.

The full study and its findings can be accessed here: Understanding the Trauma-Related Effects of Terrorist Propaganda on Researchers

More resources related to terrorist propaganda and mental health and extremism can be found at HSDL.