Terrorism Psychology

There have been a lot of studies conducted concerning terrorist psychology. In counter terrorism, understanding the psychology of terrorism is very helpful. In order to effectively combat terrorists, agencies must understand the people behind the terror they are trying to prevent. Many terrorists have been indoctrinated with religious and or political views that cause them to turn to terrorism to accomplish their cause.

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Understanding Terrorism

Terrorism is not generally caused by mental illness. There are a few isolated individuals that commit terroristic acts that are mentally ill. These seem to be the exception, not the norm. The ideology in which the terrorist believes tends to outline a set of beliefs that justify and mandate many terrorist actions. These terrorists truly believe that their actions are justified and right. Not all extremist groups are violent and believe in terrorism. Nor are all terrorists are extremists.

Recruitment varies as much as the groups that exist. Most recruitment does seem to take place in areas where people feel deprived and discontented. Terrorism appears to thrive in areas where people feel ignored or neglected by society or government. A feeling of belonging and believing in the same ideals is a common thread among terrorist groups. The feelings of helplessness to right a perceived wrong are alleviated when involved in a terrorist group.

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Cultural influences play a strong roll when examining terrorism psychology. When terrorism is the norm in a society, as with the Palestinians, recruitment of terrorists is significantly easier. Many parents see it as an honor when a child becomes a suicide bomber and gives his life for their cause. For many terrorist, it is the ultimate honor to die while carrying out a terrorist attack.

Religion is perhaps the strongest influence when considering terrorism. Many religions have extremist sects that typically feel justify in using terroristic force. Some believe that there are no innocent people, just people that don’t believe they way they do. These people are perceived as the enemy and need to be eliminated for the sake of their cause. Very few terrorist, when acting for the sake of religious beliefs, feel guilt over what they have done. Many consider it an honor to give their life up, either by death or life in prison, for the sake of the cause.

Terrorism Psychology and Prevention

The most important in understand the psychology behind terrorism is how to use that knowledge in preventing future attacks. When law enforcement is able to understand the reasoning behind the violence, many more crimes are likely to be prevented. One chain of thought says that if the terrorist is understood, it may be possible to better negotiate with them. If their demands are met and change is to occur, it might be possible to prevent further attacks. On the other hand, if the motivations are understood, it would be easier to develop a profile of potential terrorists and places more vulnerable to attacks. Profiling helps expose those individual most likely to commit acts of terror.

Since there are many mitigating factors involved in the making of a terrorist, it is difficult to develop a standard profile for terrorism. By understanding many different fringe and extremist groups, officials can classify different types of terrorists. In this way, the psychology of terrorism can be beneficial in the war against terror.