Introducing my TCC Stoplight Model

All information provided in this is written by Allizandra Herberhold and if redistributed or reused by any party they must cite and attribute any information pulled from the document. This is property of Seeking Safer Pathways, LLC.

When I first began researching the True Crime Community (TCC) three years ago I went in with only the knowledge put forth by the media. Kids obsessed with school shooters want to be school shooters. Plain, simple, easy to understand. As I began to lurk on Tumblr, TikTok, Instagram, Deviant Art, Discord, Roblox and Reddit forums I realized this take was so far off from reality.

The community was nuanced with varying types of membership and commitment to it. That knowledge served for the inspiration in creating the TCC Stoplight Model that I train schools, law enforcement and parents on today. At this time, I am in the process of creating formalized research with proof of testing the model that will hopefully be submitted for peer review by the end of the year. This article serves as a general overview of the model but does not highlight all the behaviors associated with each group.

What is the TCC Stoplight Model?

This tool is meant to be informational and used in conjunction with other BTAM models. Think of it as an enhancement for more easily identifying what is a threat and what may not be when assessing someone identified as a possible member of the TCC.

The Model

Imagine a Stoplight: green, yellow, red.

Green light turning yellow…

The largest group is the Romanticizers.

The easiest way to think of this group is understanding they are focused specifically on the person before their attack.

Think of fan girls outside of a concert, photos all over their walls, shirts just like their favorite musician and overwhelmed by this crush they have on a person who does not know they exist. Yes, this is just like that only with a person who did something awful - not a celebrity.

• To be a Romanticizer there must be elements of a parasocial, romantic or sexual relationship towards a perpetrator.

• Many of the members outright say “I do not condone” referring to condoning the violence carried out by the perpetrator

• Most members in this group have a history of self harm, suicide attempts, eating disorders or emotional abuse.

• Projecting an idealized version of the person onto them, desire to “save” them and feel immense empathy for them

• This is demonstrated with what I call “Tokens of Loyalty”. This is a physical item they have bought or made paying tribute to the perpetrator.

  • Buttons, keychains, lockets with their face in it or other jewelry with their name on it

  • Shrines, memorials

  • Making artifacts to memorialize the killer

• They do not have a desire themselves to carry out an attack.

  
  

Imagine this group as a green light starting to turn yellow.

It is not something to ignore but it is not an indicator that they are planning to or will carry out targeted violence. It is more of an opportunity to see what function this community and parasocial relationship is doing for them. Once you find that out, you can help them find a healthier coping skill and community to be a part of.

Yellow light turning red….

The second largest group is Idolizers.

The easiest way to think of this group is understanding they are focused specifically on the person before and after their attack.

They are fixated on the violence, the attack and think of it as “cool”. They idolize the perpetrator as a role model but do not view themselves on the same level as them. Think of an edgy kid who would think Columbine is “cool” but doesn’t have the ability to go through with carrying an attack out themselves.

• To be an Idolizer there must be elements of admiration for the violent action carried out by the perpetrator and glorification of it without themselves specifically attempting to do it themselves.

• They will often try to emulate the perpetrator through physical appearance, clothing, interests or mannerisms.

  • Music, movies, hobbies, books, clothing, language/slang, writing style, etc.

• Their profiles will frequently have “I condone” in it to clarify they condone the violence carried out by the perpetrators.

• Even if they have the desire to carry an attack out, they do not have the capability because they are afraid of something not going to plan.

• Some are posting edgy memes, video edits or trolling people online.

  
  

Imagine this member as a stoplight turning yellow to red.

It is cause for concern, time to ask a lot of questions, gather as much information as possible and conduct a threat assessment. When thinking of this member-type through the lens of pathway behaviors imagine someone forever stuck on the fantasy stage but too fearful to go any further.

Remember: It is absolutely critical to continue monitoring this person. While this person may not currently be able to move further down the pathway, with enough dedication and desire, they can acquire capability for violence. It is not a guarantee that a person will move from this stage to the final stage: Identifiers, but it is always a possibility. Continue to consult with your BTAM team, follow up with the person and reassess as more information comes about.

RED LIGHT

The smallest and final group is Identifiers.

The easiest way to think of this group is understanding they are focused specifically on the the attack. They see the violence and are inspired. To be in this stage they must be engaging in preparatory and/or pathway behaviors.

They view themselves as equals to other perpetrators and are motivated to carry an attack out. Most frequently, these may start out as Idolizers but with time they begin to follow the steps of the Pathway to Violence Model.

• To be an Identifier they must identify with a perpetrator and want to and are engaging in preparatory behaviors.

• Attempting to or successfully acquiring firearms, tactical gear or elements to make bombs

• Photo of self with firearms

• Writing a journal or manifesto

• They have an identified target, grievance, and possible victim list

• Leakage …. lots of it

  
  

This is a red light - slam the breaks, full stop.

You have to pull out all the stops right now. There is information that there is possibility of a credible threat and imminent danger. Follow the protocol of your school, organization or agency when at risk for targeted violence.

It is important to keep in mind that ALL three groups have a fascination with death and suicide. That is not enough of an indicator to determine level of threat or which category of membership they fall into.

This is a short list of some of the behaviors of each group. The training has many more examples to be on the look out for with photo examples for each.

If you plan to use my model in your training, please cite me as the author.

Please reach out to me directly if you wish to have me do a training and teach in detail about the different warning behaviors for each category and possible intervention techniques.

Disclaimer: The model is for informational purposes only and cannot predict targeted violence with certainty. It is critical to utilize multiple threat assessment tools when conducting an investigation against a threat.