MeltonHLSS154Midterm

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Psychological and Behavioral Differences in Individual Terrorists Alycia Melton American Public University System HLSS 154: Mind of a Terrorist Prof. Kevin Taylor January 21, 2024

Introduction Terrorism has had such a major effect in our world that scientists and law enforcement agencies are constantly searching for answers and ways to prevent more terrorist acts in the future. Scientists have been researching these radicals since the 1960s hoping to pin-point exactly what makes someone turn to extreme measures. According to their research, psychological and behavioral factors in an individual can be a strong leading aspect to that decision of extremism. These factors include a desire to fit in somewhere, political issues, racial and ethnic injustices, a search for one’s identity, ideological and religious beliefs, childhood upbringing, the list goes on and on. In this paper, we will dive deeper in to some of the reasons why individuals choose to become terrorists. Individual terrorists, like suicide bombers, choose to give their lives to terrorism for a multitude of reasons, but the ones we’ll discuss here have to do with the search for personal identity, religious reasonings, and childhood upbringing. Topic One: Religion The most common characteristic we’ve seen in many past suicide bombers have been a religious one. It asks the question whether the choice to perform a suicide attack is a rational or irrational one. These terrorists believe that what they are doing is in the name of their God, or Allah, and that doing it for Him will get them rewards in the afterlife. They do not see suicide as killing themselves, yet more of a step to becoming a martyr in the name of Allah. Hassan Salame, a notorious suicide bomber currently serving 46 years in prison, once said that “ A martyrdom operation bombing is the highest level of jihad, and highlights the depth of our faith. The bombers are holy fighters who carry out one of the more important articles of faith. ” (Post, 2009, p. 382). Religious ideologies can drive people to do many things in life, unfortunately terrorism being included in one of those. Terrorists interpret their religion in extreme ways and it

is taught to the children of said religion. The Muslim religion is one of those that get misinterpreted in the justification of violence. Research found that Muslim children as young as 10 years old had ideations of becoming a suicide bomber when they were older. They wanted to be rewarded by Allah and were taught that suicide in his name was the way to receive them. Religion is a strong driving factor in many individuals’ lives in this world, throwing violent interpretations of religious readings in with that is a recipe for disaster. Topic Two: Childhood Upbringing When a child is raised around adults in their family with certain beliefs and ideas, they usually tend to develop those same beliefs as they grow into adulthood. Much like religion, for example, many believe in whatever ideology they were raised up around, because that’s what they were taught by their parental figures. Take gang members as another example - how many people joined a gang simply because a close relative(s) or family friend(s) and that’s all they know? Or because this way of life was the constant in their environment and therefore that must be the only choice they have? So many people, more than one might think, are products of their environment. Although extreme religious views taught during adolescence are common amongst terrorists, radicalism isn’t always a taught thing. Children that see violence every day, or witness/experience abuse as children, develop a violent mentality which therefore makes them more susceptible to commit violent acts in the future. Mix radical interpretations of religion with that knowledge of violence, and it can make the perfect concoction for individual terrorism. Any slight (perceived) injustice, loss of a loved one, feeling of angst, etc., can be triggering enough for someone to take extreme measures on a person or group of people. These children are not often taught ways to cope or deal with their frustrations properly and will instead develop their own unhealthy ways because of that.

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