Speaker: Dr Chris Winter, Victoria University
Date: Tuesday 15 September 2026
Time: 10.00–11.00 (UK time)
Venue: Online
Hosted by: Pax Caledonia Network
Abstract
This presentation examines the concept of mixed, unclear, and unknown (MUU) mass violence, a category that has emerged in response to growing concerns about individuals, particularly young people, engaging in ideologically ambiguous or complex violence. Through a series of case studies and recent Australian research, this presentation traces why the term developed, how it is applied, and where it proves useful, while also interrogating how it can obscure the underlying drivers of this kind of violence. The presentation also explores the role of aesthetics and subcultural attachments in MUU violence, and how these features take shape in online environments.
About the speaker
Dr Chris Winter is a sociologist of terrorism at Victoria University (VU), specialising in lone-actor terrorism. His research applies a micro-sociological lens to understand the emotional and social dynamics driving individual acts of political violence, including the interactional sequences between attackers and victims. He maintains the Lone Actor Terrorist Microsociological Database — a global dataset of lone-actor attacks — and has a particular interest in threat and risk assessment in violent extremism contexts. Chris works with VU’s Applied Security Science Partnership, translating academic research into practical counter-terrorism applications.