START report examines QAnon extremist activity

A Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (START) report examining extremism has determined QAnon escalated from an obscure fringe group to a mainstream movement, but few have committed crimes.

START researchers at the University of Maryland compiled QAnon supporter data regarding those who have been charged with criminal offenses domestically to date, finding there have been 61 in total, including 31 participants in the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol riot.

“We know movements like QAnon have what we call a low base rate of offense, which means far more people support the views than are actually going to mobilize to do something criminal,” Michael Jensen, a senior researcher at START who led the QAnon project, said. “But just because people aren’t committing a lot of crimes connected to this movement doesn’t mean it’s not harmful.”

Researchers used the Profiles of Individual Radicalization in the United States (PIRUS) database created at START in 2013 to track QAnon-related crimes after the movement expanded online in 2020.

The work showed mental health concerns and past trauma were common among QAnon supporters compelled to commit crimes. In addition to the subjects who participated in the Capitol insurrection, 32 QAnon followers have been arrested since 2016.

Of the 32 subjects, more than two-thirds had documented mental health concerns, according to court records and other public sources while 44 percent were radicalized after experiencing a traumatic event such as physical, emotional or sexual abuse or post-traumatic stress disorder from military service.

START researchers noted they expect QAnon to experience a period of significant disengagement in the coming months, noting social media platforms are cracking down on its efforts to spread claims.