The Psychology of Terrorism
Causes, Consequences and Future of the International Terrorist Threat
Keywords:
Terrorism, Psychology, Radicalization, Recruitment, Transnational Security, Counterterrorism Measures
Abstract
The evolutionary process of islamic terrorism has been witnessed internationally over the past few decades. The common denominator of the terrorist actions perpetrated by independent cells, groups, and terrorist organizations, which aim is to spread terror and to restrict human freedom, corresponds to the extensive array of dispositional and extrinsic variables that can be interpreted by social sciences, namely Psychology. Although this phenomenon represents a relatively recent threat in the European continent, there arises a need to pay increasing attention to the variables and dynamics that lead to the processes of radicalization and recruitment, which are now focusing on younger populations and being activated within their own countries, where several attacks end up taking place. Considering the fact that terrorism poses a serious threat to transnational security, and given the return of terrorists to their nations, the Psychology of Terrorism accentuates its importance, providing the basis for the development of effective counterterrorism measures by looking at the conduct, identity and motivation of those who are considered to be both martyrs and enemies: the terrorists.
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References
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Post, J. (2007). Terrorisms and Terrorist Psychologies: An Introduction. In J. Post (Ed.), The mind of the terrorist: The psychology of terrorism from the IRA to Al-qaeda (1–9). St. Martin’s Press.
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Tajfel, H. (1974). Social identity and intergroup behaviour. Social Sciences Information. Information Sur Les Sciences Sociales, 13(2), 65–93.
Tyler, T. R., & Huo, Y. J. (2002). Trust in the law. Nova Iorque: Russell Sage Foundation.
Victoroff, J. (2005). The Mind of the Terrorist: A Review and Critique of Psychological Approaches. Journal of Conflict Resolution, 49(1), 3–42. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022002704272040
Zimbardo, P. G. (2004). A situationist perspective on the psychology of evil: Understanding how good people are transformed into perpetrators. In A. Miller (Ed.), The social psychology of good and evil: Understanding our capacity for kindness and cruelty. New York: Guilford.
Zimbardo, P. G. (1995). The psychology of evil: A situationist perspective on recruiting good people to engage in anti-social acts. Japanese Journal of Social Psychology, 11(2), 125–133.
Atran, S. (2003, March 7). Genesis of Suicide Terrorism. Science, 299, 1534–1539.
Bandura, A. (2017). Mechanisms of moral disengagement. In Insurgent Terrorism (85–115). Routledge.
Ben-Gershon, B., Grinshpoon, A., & Ponizovsky, A. (2005). Mental Health Services. Preparing for the Psychological Consequences of Terrorism. Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment & Trauma, 10(3), 743–753.
Berger, J. M. (2018). Extremism. MIT Press.
Bernholz, P. (2004). Supreme values as the basis for terror. European Journal of Political Economy, 20, 317–333.
Bongar, B. (2007). The psychology of terrorism: Defining the need and describing the goals. In B. Bongar, L. Brown, L. Beutler, J. Breckenridge, & P. Zimbardo (Eds.), Psychology of Terrorism (3–12). Oxford University Press.
Brymer, M., Jacobs, A., Layne, C., Pynoos, R., Ruzek, J., Steinberg, A., et al. (2006). Psychological First Aid: Field operations guide. 2nd ed., Los Angeles: National Child Traumatic Stress Network and National Center for PTSD.
Crenshaw, M. (2000). The psychology of terrorism: An agenda for the 21st century. Political Psychology, 21(2), 405–420.
Devilly, G. J., & Cotton, P. (2004). Caveat emptor, caveat venditor, and critical incident stress debriefing/management (CISD/M). Australian Psychologist, 39, 35–40.
Ellis, B. H., & Abdi, S. (2017). Building community resilience to violent extremism through genuine partnerships. American Psychologist, 72(3), 289–300. https://doi.org/10.1037/amp0000065
Félix, C. (2004). Breve Incursão Histórica, Social e Psicológica sobre o Terrorismo. Revista Nação e Defesa, 2(109), 153–174.
García-Vera, M. P., & Sanz, J. (2016). Repercusiones psicopatológicas de los atentados terroristas en las víctimas adultas y su tratamiento: estado de la cuestión. Papeles del Psicólogo, 37(3), 198-204.
García-Vera, M. P., Sanz, J., & Sanz-García, A. (2021). Ten things every psychologist should know about treating psychological disorders in victims of terrorism. Psicothema, 33(2), 177–187.
Haney, C., Banks, C., & Zimbardo, P. (1973). Interpersonal dynamics in a simulated prison. International Journal of Criminology Penology, 1, 69–97.
Hobfoll, S. E., Watson, P., Bell, C. C., Bryant, R. A., Brymer, M. J., Friedman, M. J., et al. (2007). Five essential elements of immediate and mid-term mass trauma intervention: Empirical evidence. Psychiatry, 7, 283–315.
Hogg, M. A. (2006). Social Identity Theory. In P. J. Burke (Ed.), Contemporary social psychological theories (111–136). Stanford University Press.
Horgan, J. G., & Taylor, M. (2011). Disengagement, De-radicalization and the Arc of Terrorism: Future Directions for Research. In Coolsaet, R. (Ed.), Jihadi Terrorism and the Radicalization Challenge.
Horgan, J. G. (2017). Psychology of terrorism: Introduction to the special issue. The American Psychologist, 72(3), 199–204.
Inácio, A., & Araújo, D. (2018). Um novo paradigma para a segurança: atores de segurança interna. Proelium, VII(14), 23–28.
Jovem austríaca morta à martelada por membros do EI. (2015, 26 de Novembro). SÁBADO. https://www.sabado.pt/mundo/detalhe/jovem-austriaca-morta-a-martelada-por-membros-do-ei
Khosrokhavar, F. (2009). Jihadism in Europe and the Middle East. Islamism as Social Movement, 37–44.
Martins, R. (2010). Acerca de “Terrorismo” e de “Terrorismos.” Instituto da Defesa Nacional.
McCauley, C. (2007). Psychological Issues in Understanding Terrorism and the Response to Terrorism. In B. Bongar, L. Brown, L. Beutler, J. Breckenridge, & P. Zimbardo (Eds.), Psychology of Terrorism (13-29). Oxford University Press.
McDermott, R., & Zimbardo, P. (2007). The psychological consequences of terrorist alerts. In B. Bongar, L. Brown, L. Beutler, J. Breckenridge, & P. Zimbardo (Eds.), Psychology of Terrorism (357-369). Oxford University Press.
Merari, A. (2007). Psychological aspects of terrorism. In B. Bongar, L. Brown, L. Beutler, J. Breckenridge, & P. Zimbardo (Eds.), Psychology of Terrorism (111-113). Oxford University Press.
Milgram, S. (1974). Obedience to authority: An experimental view. New York: Harper & Row.
Moghaddam, F. M., & Marsella, A. J. (Eds.). (2003). Understanding terrorism: Psychosocial roots, consequences and interventions. American Psychological Association.
Moghaddam, F. M. (2005). The staircase to terrorism: A psychological explanation. American Psychologist, 60(2), 161–169.
Orlando gay nightclub shooting: Who was Omar Mateen? (2016, 14 de Junho). BBC News. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-36513468
Pereira, M. (2015). Modelos de Intervenção Psicossocial em Catástrofe. In Ordem dos Psicólogos Portugueses (Ed.), Intervenção Psicológica em Crise e Catástrofe (210–215).
Post, J. (2007). Terrorisms and Terrorist Psychologies: An Introduction. In J. Post (Ed.), The mind of the terrorist: The psychology of terrorism from the IRA to Al-qaeda (1–9). St. Martin’s Press.
Robertson, M., Pfefferbaum, B., Codispoti, C.R., & Montgomery, J.M. (2007). Integrating authorities and disciplines into the preparedness-planning process: A study of mental health, public health, and emergency management. American Journal of Disaster Management, 2(3), 133–142.
Ross, L. (1977). The intuitive psychologist and his shortcomings: Distortions in the attribution process. In L. Berkowitz (Ed.), Advances in experimental social psychology, 10, 174–221.
Ruby, C. L. (2002). Are terrorists mentally deranged? Analyses of Social Issues and Public Policy, 2(1), 15–26.
Ruzek, J. I., Maguen, S., & Litz, B. T. (2007). Evidence-Based Interventions for Survivors of Terrorism. In Bongar, B, M., Brown, L. M., Beutler, L. E., Breckenridge, J. N., & Zimbardo, P. G. (Eds.), Psychology of terrorism. Oxford, New York: Oxford University Press, 247-272.
Schmid, A. P. (2011). The Routledge handbook of terrorism research. Routledge.
Soares, F. (2018). A Radicalização Salafista-Jihadista na Europa: O Caso dos Imigrantes de Segunda e Terceira Geração Conectados Com o Islão. PROELIUM, 7, 87–106.
Strindberg, A. (2020). Social Identity Theory and the Study of Terrorism and Violent Extremism.
Tajfel, H. (1974). Social identity and intergroup behaviour. Social Sciences Information. Information Sur Les Sciences Sociales, 13(2), 65–93.
Tyler, T. R., & Huo, Y. J. (2002). Trust in the law. Nova Iorque: Russell Sage Foundation.
Victoroff, J. (2005). The Mind of the Terrorist: A Review and Critique of Psychological Approaches. Journal of Conflict Resolution, 49(1), 3–42. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022002704272040
Zimbardo, P. G. (2004). A situationist perspective on the psychology of evil: Understanding how good people are transformed into perpetrators. In A. Miller (Ed.), The social psychology of good and evil: Understanding our capacity for kindness and cruelty. New York: Guilford.
Zimbardo, P. G. (1995). The psychology of evil: A situationist perspective on recruiting good people to engage in anti-social acts. Japanese Journal of Social Psychology, 11(2), 125–133.
Published
2024-06-03
How to Cite
Lourenço, Susana. 2024. “The Psychology of Terrorism: Causes, Consequences and Future of the International Terrorist Threat”. De Legibus - Law Journal, no. 5 e 6 (June), 135-70. https://doi.org/10.24140/dlb.vi5 e 6.8275.
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Articles
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