06/02/2026
The latest from Lt. Col. Dave Grossman. Our cops struggle with “loopers” everyday.
The latest research regarding the rise of young, suicidal mass killers (Nihilistic Violent Extremism), has identified the cause as a "behavior trap." A behavior trap is a psychological "feedback loop" in which every day experiences inadvertently reinforce unhealthy behavior.
**Stages of the Behavioral "Loop" Leading to Violence**
-Stage 1: The Vulnerability (Unresolved Trauma)
The trap cannot spring without a pre-existing state of deprivation or trauma. Trauma keeps the brain's alarm center on high alert, diminishing impulse control and the ability to think rationally.
-Stage 2: Taking the Bait (Propaganda or Community Reinforcement)
To cope with the "isolation" brought on by their trauma (which is common), the individual turns to online spaces, violent subcultures, or extremist manifestos. This validates their unresolved rage and shifts their perspective from personal failure to a broader sense of grievance.
-Stage 3: The Snare (Following the Script)
As the individual interacts with this material, they develop a rigid, extremist vocabulary. They begin to view the world through a binary lens of "us vs. them" or "perpetrator vs. victim".
-Stage 4: Punishing the World (Fame-Seeking)
Fame-seeking functions as an opportunity to punish the world. The individual becomes pathologically fixated, obsessively studying past attackers, mimicking their aesthetics, and consuming media coverage.
-Stage 5: The Loss of Fear (The Obliterative Mindset)
As the trap tightens, the perpetrator undergoes cognitive disinhibition. They experience what behavioral analysts call a "loss of fear" regarding the consequences of their actions. Driven by an envious desire to "destroy goodness" or the happiness of others, they reach an "obliterative mindset" where they view their own "self" as already dead, making the physical destruction of their body inconsequential. Violence becomes a transformational tool to shift from a position of absolute powerlessness to absolute power.
**Breaking the Loop**
The key to preventing this slippery slope into extremism and violence is for someone in authority to intervene when they see someone struggling with trauma. In law enforcement, linking troubled youth to mental health services is known as "Child-Development Community Policing" or "Trauma Informed Policing."
Lt. Col. Dave Grossman
www.GrossmanOnTruth.com
