Shaping the national conversation on violence prevention

PUBLICATIONS, RESEARCH, TRAINING & EXPERT WITNESS EXPERIENCE

Dr. Gibson is a co-author of several of the country's foundational threat-assessment resources and a contributor to leading peer-reviewed journals. Her work bridges rigorous research and frontline practice, helping practitioners identify risk earlier and act more effectively.

FEATURED:
NATIONAL GUIDES & RESOURCES

Cover of “Behavioral Threat Assessment and Management: Prevent and Protect,” a resource compendium for further learning from the American Hospital Association and FBI.

Behavioral Threat Assessment and Management: Prevent and Protect
A Resource Compendium for Further Learning | AHA

Cover of “Behavioral Threat Assessment and Management: Prevent and Protect,” a leadership guide for preventing targeted violence in health care settings from the American Hospital Association and FBI.

Behavioral Threat Assessment & Management: Prevent and Protect
A Leadership Guide for Preventing Targeted Violence in Health Care Settings. American Hospital Association & FBI (2026).

Cover page of a report titled 'Beyond Belief: Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism in America' with a black background, featuring chess pieces and an American flag in the background.

Beyond Belief: Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism in America. FBI, Behavioral Threat Assessment Center (2025).

Cover of a report titled 'Making Prevention a Reality: Identifying, Assessing, and Managing the Threat of Targeted Attacks.' The background has a wooden surface with four hands fitting puzzle pieces together, symbolizing collaboration or problem-solving. The report is by the U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Behavioral Analysis Unit.

Making Prevention a Reality: Identifying, Assessing, and Managing the Threat of Targeted Attacks. FBI (2017).

Website homepage for the U.S. Department of Justice / FBI promoting the prevention of mass violence, featuring a group hug of young people outdoors with fall foliage, and a quote about speaking up when something is wrong.

FBI Prevent Mass Violence Campaign
National public awareness campaign built on research into the observable warning behaviors that precede mass attacks.

Website for the FBI Behavioral Analysis. Three professionals, two men and one woman, walking down a hallway, with a banner overlay that reads 'Behavioral Analysis' and a description about using psychological research for criminal behavior analysis.

FBI Behavioral Analysis Unit
Usong psychological research and operational experience to better understand criminal behavior and assist in solving cases.

SELECTED PEER REVIEWED RESEARCH AND ARTICLES

Age Matters: A Comparative Analysis of Targeted Violence Risk Factors Across the Lifespan. Journal of Threat Assessment and Management (2026).

Linguistic Markers in the Writings of Violent Offenders, High-Risk Individuals, and Online Users. SN Social Sciences (2026).

Part 3: 4 Interventions for Campus Violence Prevention. Campus Safety Magazine (2025)

Part 2: Behavioral Differences in K-12 and College Shooters’ Interactions with Parents, Peers, and Teachers. Campus Safety Magazine (2025)

Part 1: How School Shooters Manipulate Others, Evade Bystander Concerns. Campus Safety Magazine (2025)

Breaking the Silence: Bystander Reporting to Law Enforcement Disrupts Individuals Moving Toward Targeted Violence. Law and Human Behavior (2025).

Terror and Terrain: Navigating the Violent Extremist Landscape in America. Police Chiefs Magazine by IACP (2024)

Publicly Humiliating Events: A Precursor to Workplace Violence. Security Management Magazine, (ASIS International/asisonline.org) (2024)

Assessing the Reliability and Validity of the North Carolina BeTA Investigation Overview-25 (NCBIO-25) in a Sample of Active Shooters and Persons of Concern. Journal of Threat Assessment and Management (2024)

Are All Pathway Behaviors Observable? A Quantitative Analysis of the Pathway to Intended Violence Model. Journal of Threat Assessment and Management (2024).

(In)action: Variation in Bystander Responses Between Persons of Concern and Active Shooters. Journal of Threat Assessment and Management (2020).

Possible Attackers? A Comparison Between the Behaviors and Stressors of Persons of Concern and Active Shooters. Journal of Threat Assessment and Management (2020).

Download Full Publication List (CV) →

EXPERT WITNESS

State v. Austin Thompson, Wake County, North Carolina (2026). Televised expert testimony on behavioral threat assessment, FBI Behavioral Analysis Unit.

Press release document with the U.S. Department of Justice seal in the top left corner, announcing a man sentenced to over six years in prison for illegal possession of a machine gun and attempted possession of grenades, dated January 30, 2024, from the District of Minnesota.

United States v. River Smith, District of Minnesota (2024) Press Release.

ADDITIONAL EXPERT WITNESS EXPERIENCE

Prosecutorial assistance provided in Southern District of Georgia, Western District of North Carolina, District of Maryland, and internationally in Australia.

SPEAKING HIGHLIGHTS

Keynote — ASIS International, North America (2026): "Pathway to Violence versus Pathway to Hope: You Pick."

Keynote — Behavioural Analysis Conference, “Prevent Mass Violence: The Importance of Behavior Detection,” Mall of America, Minneapolis (2025).

Keynote — FBI St. Louis School Safety Conference, “Threat-scape, Billboards, and Exits” (2025).

Keynote — 4th Annual K-12 Targeted Violence Awareness Seminar, Palm Beach School District, “Threat-scape, Billboards, and Exits,” West Palm Beach, FL County (2025)

Domestic Security Alliance Council (DSAC) Annual Meetings — "Corporate Preparedness in the Age of Nihilistic Threats" (2025) and "Building TATM Capability" (2024)

National Football League (NFL) Annual Security Conference, "A Security Perspective on How to Navigate Risk and Prevent Mass Violence," 630 attendees. (2024).

Preventing and Responding to Mass Violence: The VOICES 2024 NYC Symposium | Voices Center for Resilience (2024)

American Hospital Association Leadership Summit, “Mass and Targeted Violence: Strategies for Readiness, Response, and Resilience” (2024).

International — Leadership in Counter Terrorism Alumni Association (LinCT-AA) — panelist, New York (2026), Dublin (2025), Toronto (2024), and Brisbane (2023), alongside senior counterterrorism leaders from the UK, Australia, and Canada.

“Prevention not only saves lives but it changes a life by giving someone their life back.”

DR. KARIE GIBSON