The who’s who of nihilistic violent extremism

Just as law enforcement, government, and academic definitions and conceptualizations related to nihilistic violent extremism (NVE) are hotly contested, so too are the boundaries of the NVE space. Presently, there are no academic studies that have sought to understand what constitutes the NVE ecosphere, comprised of a seemingly endless number of persistent, resilient, and adaptable decentralized groups, subgroups, and parallel harmful networks. Nihilistic violent extremists exist within a larger, loosely connected network of diverse transnational groups. These groups differ in the types of sadistic and extremist activities in which they engage, as well as the degree to which their criminal activities are primarily online vs. offline. This article explores the NVE ecosphere and maps its current composition, highlighting its breadth and interconnectedness.