Dr Sarah Marsden
Centre Director and Senior Lecturer
Sarah Marsden is a Senior Lecturer in the Centre for the Study of Terrorism and Political Violence at the University of St Andrews. I joined St Andrews after five years in the Department of Politics, Philosophy and Religion at Lancaster University.
My research and teaching take an interdisciplinary approach to radical and violent politics. I look at transnational social movements, violent militant networks, grassroots activists, and those practicing everyday forms of resistance from a range of ideological positions including militant Islamists, anti-fascists, radical environmental activists, and far-right religious nationalists. I have published widely on these subjects in journals including Terrorism and Political Violence, Studies in Conflict and Terrorism and the Journal of Strategic Studies.
My work on political contention takes a participatory approach, engaging with a wide range of stakeholders including government bodies, arts organisations, charities, and community-led groups to develop real-world solutions to complex social problems.
Current projects include a body of work on violent extremism through the Centre for Research and Evidence on Security Threats with a focus on counter-extremism, reintegration and disengagement processes, and foreign fighters, and Remembering Resistance, a transdisciplinary programme of research, events, and collaborations that looks at the relationship between protest, power and place in women’s activism.
Books
Handbook of Radicalisation Research. Co-Editor with: J. Busher, and L. Malkki. Forthcoming. Routledge.
Violent Legacies: Why Militant Movements Endure. Under contract. McGill-Queen’s University Press.
Reintegrating Extremists: ‘Deradicalisation’ and Desistance. Palgrave Macmillan. (2017).
Journal articles
- Lewis, J., Marsden, S.V., Cherney, A., Zeuthen, M.,Bélanger, J. J., Zubareva, A., Brandsch, J. & Lubrano, M. (2023). PROTOCOL: Case management interventions seeking to counter radicalisation to violence: a systematic review of tools and approaches. Campbell Systematic Reviews. 19(1).
- Marsden, S.V. (2020). Defining Terrorism: Communities and Contexts. Contemporary Voices in International Relations, Special issue: 12-17.
- Marsden, S.V. (2020). Examining Terrorism’s Persistence: A Relational Approach. Contemporary Voices in International
Relations. Special issue: 33-39.
- Marsden, S.V. (2020). Radicalisation: Policy, Research and Trajectories. International Journal of Conflict and Violence, 14: 1-6.
A Social Movement Theory Typology of Militant Organisations: Contextualising Terrorism.Terrorism and Political Violence, 28(2016): 750-773.
Conceptualising ‘Success’ with those Convicted of Terrorism Offences: Aims, Methods and Barriers to Reintegration. Behavioral Studies of Terrorism and Political Aggression 7 (2015): 143-165.
Leaderless Global Jihadism: The Paradox of Discriminate Violence. Journal of Strategic Studies, 38(2015): 579-601. With G. Ramsay.
Forest Jihad: Assessing the Evidence for ‘Popular Resistance Terrorism’. Studies in Conflict and Terrorism 37 (2014): 1-17. With D. Marino and G. Ramsay.
Media Metrics of Success and Failure in the Global War on Terror: A Comparison of Western and Arab Media Perspectives. Perspectives on Terrorism 7 (2013): 10-26.
Radical Distinctions: A Comparative Study of Two Jihadist Speeches. Critical Studies on Terrorism6 (2013): 392-409. With G. Ramsay.
‘Successful terrorism’: Framework and Review. Behavioural Sciences of Terrorism and Political Violence 4(2012): 134-150.
Book chapters
- Terrorists. In A Research Agenda for Terrorism Studies, edited by Lara Frumkin, John Morrison and Andrew Silke. Edward Elgar. 2023.
- Disengagement and Deradicalisation Programmes. In Contemporary Terrorism Studies, edited by Diego Muro and Tim Wilson. Oxford University Press. 2022.
The Effectiveness of Terrorism. In The Routledge Handbook on Terrorism and Counterterrorism,edited by Andrew Silke. Routledge, 2018.
Negotiating difference: Extremism, critical thinking and an ethics of care. In Education and Extremisms: Rethinking Liberal Pedagogies in the Contemporary World,edited by F. Panjawi et al., Routledge, 2017.
Reintegrating Radicals: A Strengths-Based Approach to ‘Deradicalisation’. In Victims and Perpetrators of Terrorism: Exploring identities, roles and narratives,edited by Orla Lynch and Javier Argomaniz, 2017.
How Terrorism Ends. In Terrorism and Political Violence,edited by Caroline Kennedy-Pipe, Gordon Clubb and Simon Mabon, 199-225. Croydon: Sage, 2015.
Typologies of Terrorism. In Handbook of Terrorism Research: Research, Theories and Concepts,edited by Alex P. Schmid, 158-200. London & New York: Routledge, 2011. With A. P. Schmid.
Furthering the Counter-Narrative via Educational and Social Grassroots Projects. In Edited Volume on Counter-narratives, edited by Erik Akerboom, 132-143. Centre for Terrorism and Counterterrorism: The Hague, 2010. With T. Qureshi.
What Role Does Punishment Play in Deterring Crime? Practical, Theoretical and Ethical Perspectives. In Forensic Psychology: Concepts, debates and practice, (2ndEd), edited by Joanna R. Adler and Jacqueline M. Gray, 445-465. London: Willan, 2010.
Reports
- Khalil, J., Zeuthen, M & Marsden, S.V. (2023). A Guide to Deradicalisation and Disengagement Programming. Centre for Research and Evidence on Security Threats.
- Hewitt, J., Lewis, J. & Marsden, S.V. (2023). Lived Experiences of Contact with Counter-Terrorism Policies and Practices. Centre for Research and Evidence on Security Threats.
- Lewis, J. & Marsden, S.V. (2023). Secondary Countering Violent Extremism Interventions: Rapid Review of the Literature. Centre for Research and Evidence on Security Threats.
- Mutton, R., Lewis, J. & Marsden, S.V. (2023). Public Mitigation of Terrorism Risk: Rapid Review of the Literature. Centre for Research and Evidence on Security Threats.
- Mutton, R., Lewis, J. & Marsden, S.V. (2023). Online Radicalisation: Rapid Review of the Literature Centre for Research and Evidence on Security Threats.
- Hewitt, J., Lewis, J. & Marsden, S.V. (2022). The Psychological Effects of Criminal Justice Measures: A Review of Evidence Relating to Terrorist Offending. Centre for Research and Evidence on Security Threats.
- Marsden, S.V. & Lee, B. 2022). Conceptualising Protective Factors: Strengths-Based Approaches.
Centre for Research and Evidence on Security Threats. - Hewitt, J., Lee, B. & Marsden, S.V. (2022). Protective Factors in Risk Assessment: Practitioner Perspectives. Centre for Research and Evidence on Security Threats.
- Marsden, S.V. & Lee, B. (2022). Protective Factors for Extremism and Political Violence: Rapid Evidence Assessment. Centre for Research and Evidence on Security Threats.
- Lewis, J. & Marsden, S.V. (2021). Trauma, Adversity and Violent Extremism: Rapid Evidence Assessment. Centre for Research and Evidence on Security Threats.
- Brady, E. & Marsden, S.V. (2021). Women and Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism Interventions. Centre for Research and Evidence on Security Threats.
- Lewis, J. & Marsden, S.V. (2021). Countering Violent Extremism Interventions: Contemporary Research. Centre for Research and Evidence on Security Threats
- Copeland, S., & Marsden, S. V. (2020). Behavioural-Focused Protective Security Programmes. Centre for Research and Evidence on Security Threats.
- Copeland, S., & Marsden, S. V. (2020). Economic Influences on Radicalisation. Centre for Research and Evidence on Security Threats.
- Lewis, J., Copeland, S., & Marsden, S. V. (2020). Evaluating Programmes to Prevent and Counter Extremism. Centre for Research and Evidence on Security Threats.
- Copeland, S., & Marsden, S. V. (2020). Extremist Risk Assessment. Centre for Research and Evidence on Security Threats.
- Copeland, S., & Marsden, S. V. (2020). Managing Terrorism-Related Offenders in Prison. Centre for Research and Evidence on Security Threats.
- Lewis, J. & Marsden, S.V. (2020). Public Experiences of The UK Counter-Terrorism System. Centre for Research and Evidence on Security Threats.
Deradicalisation Programmes: An Introductory Guide.Lancaster University/Home Office, 2019.
Countering Violent Extremism II: A Guide to Good Practice. With J. Lewis & K. Knott. CREST, Lancaster University/Foreign and Commonwealth Office, 2019.
Countering Violent Extremism I: An Introductory Guide. With J. Lewis & K. Knott. CREST, Lancaster University/Foreign and Commonwealth Office, 2017.Handbook of Radicalisation Research. Co-Editor with: J. Busher, and L. Malkki. Forthcoming. Routledge.
IR5925: Counter-Extremism: Ethics, Policy and Practice
PhD Supervision:
I would be happy to collaborate with students in the following areas: terrorism and political violence with a particular focus on militant Islamism and religious nationalism; ‘radicalisation’ and the psychological and sociological processes associated with involvement in violent politics; social movements, activism and protest, in particular the role of ideology and identity in political contention.
Book series editor
- Protest, Power and Resistance: McGill Queen’s University Press.
Editorial board membership
- Terrorism and Political Violence
- Studies in Conflict and Terrorism
- International Journal of Conflict and Violence
- Journal of Deradicalisation
- Contemporary Voices: St Andrews Journal of International Relations
Advisory board membership & affiliations
- European Consortium on Political Research Standing Group on Political Violence
- Journal of Deradicalisation
- Terrorism and Political Violence Association
- International Consensus Guidelines Committee for the Prevention of Violent Radicalization and Extremist Violence, Public Safety Canada: Expert Consultant
- Associate Researcher: Scottish Centre for Crime and Justice Research
Recent Funding Awards:
2022
HM Prison and Probation Service. Rapid
Evidence Assessments for Intervention Practice. £20,000
2020
ESRC Centre grant. Centre for Research and Evidence on Security Threats. Co-Investigator. £5million. Co-Investigator
Campbell systematic review: Countering Violent Extremism: Case management interventions. Public Safety Canada. £122,000
- Knowledge management across the four counter-terrorism ‘Ps’. Home Office. £50,000
2019
A Woman’s March Through Time: Virtual Reality Experience. Department for Culture, Media and Sport. £4,000
- Mobilise! Co-Designing Tools for Social Change. ESRC Impact Acceleration Award.£14,895
- Disengagement: Research to practice. Home Office, Office of Security and Counter Terrorism £6,455
2018
Desistance and Disengagement II. Office for Security and Counter Terrorism, Home Office. £6,150
- Centre for Research and Evidence on Security Threats +2. ESRC Centre grant. £1.36 million. Co-Investigator
- Remembering Resistance: A Century of Women’s Protest. Heritage Lottery Fund. £65,000
2017
Desistance and Disengagement I. Office for Security and Counter Terrorism, Home Office. £6,100
- Countering Violent Extremism: Guide to Good Practice. Foreign and Commonwealth Office. £15,770. Co-Investigator
Personal Awards:
Reintegrating Extremists: ‘Deradicalisation’ and Desistance. Palgrave Macmillan. (2017). Longlisted for the Airey Neave Book Prize, 2017.
- Excellence in Teaching (Postgraduate) Award: University of St Andrews, 2014