The Terrorist Age‐Crime Curve: An Analysis of American Islamist Terrorist Offenders and Age‐Specific Propensity for Participation in Violent and Nonviolent Incidents

Objective This study examines the age-crime relationship among terrorist offenders. Method This study relies on a data set of over 600 American terrorism offenders inspired by one of three Islamist groups: Hamas, Hezbollah, or Al Qaeda. Results We find that the pattern of violent Islamist crime in the United States departs from the standard age-crime curve in significant ways. Violent action among terrorist offenders peaks at a later age and occurs across a broader age range than is the case for ordinary violent crimes.