Abstract
In order to assess the nature of threat assessment activity pertainingto members of Congress, 4387 cases involving threatening and other problematiccontact were analyzed. The cases were studied regarding subject characteristics,articulated motives, as well as several aspects of contact behavior in relationto approach behavior. Approachers were significantly less likely to have articulatedthreat language prior to or during their contacts and were also less likelyto have stated a policy grievance (foreign or domestic) as the source of theirconcern. Further, approachers were substantially more likely to have expressedhelp seeking requests as part of their prior and approach-related contactsand were less likely to have had racial or sexualized content within theircontacts. Approachers were also significantly more likely to have had a criminalrecord as well as displayed symptoms suggestive of major mental illness. Subjectsengaging in approach behavior were also less likely to have used an alias,were less likely to be a direct constituent of the target and were more likelyto have contacted multiple congressional targets. The implications for threatassessment activity are discussed.
