TRAP-18 (Terrorist Radicalisation Assessment Protocol)
Definition
18-indicator structured professional judgement instrument by Reid Meloy, Roshdi, Guldimann and Hoffmann (2014). Distinguishes 8 proximal warning behaviours (leakage, pathway, fixation, novel aggression, energy burst, identification, last resort, direct threat) from 10 distal characteristics. Validated retrospectively against 73 lone actors across ideological categories.
- Authors
- Meloy, Roshdi, Guldimann and Hoffmann, 2014
- Structure
- 8 proximal warning behaviours, 10 distal characteristics
- Type
- Structured professional judgement instrument
- Validation
- Retrospective study of 73 lone actors across ideologies
Common questions
What is the difference between the proximal and distal indicators in TRAP-18?+
Proximal warning behaviours, such as leakage or a last-resort mindset, are acute and time-sensitive signs that risk is escalating soon, while distal characteristics are longer-standing background traits that establish context but do not by themselves signal imminent action.
Is TRAP-18 meant to predict who will become a lone-actor attacker?+
No. It is a structured professional judgement tool for assessing and managing risk in a known person of concern, not a predictive checklist for identifying future attackers from a general population.
Related terms
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