The mind of suicide terrorists (original) (raw)
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Suicide terrorism and psychology of suicide bomber
Libyan International Medical University Journal, 2021
This article reviews suicide terrorism and existing understandings of the psychology of suicide bomber. Suicide attacks that take place in many different parts of the world are one of the most used methods by the terrorist organizations. Suicide terrorism as a type of terrorism carried out by suicide bombers wearing bomb vests or by assembled bomb vehicles attracts a lot of attention globally. Throughout human history, some people may attempt suicide at some point in their lives, and some of these attempts end in death. Suicide is an act of self-punishment and deliberate separation from the world. In other words, suicide is a pathological behavior that a person consciously does with the aim of ending his life and ends with success. The act of killing one's own life, which a person cannot make sense of and regards as abnormal, is such a complex and painful event. In this study, terror, suicide terrorism, suicide bombing will be studied, and the psychology of the suicide bomber wi...
Understanding suicide terrorism: Insights from psychology, lessons from history
Investigating Terrorism, 2015
History and psychology give us some powerful tools for understanding suicide terrorism. History quickly teaches that this tactic is not the reserve of any one religion and there are many examples from the past of individuals with very different motivations who are willing to sacrifice their life in an effort to kill others. Thus it is a mistake to see modern suicide terrorism as inherently an ‘Islamic problem’. Similarly, history also teaches us that perspective is important. The more you sympathise with the perpetrators’ cause, then the more you tend to explain the perpetrators’ decisions and motivations in very different (and usually much more positive) ways. If we disagree with the aims, then explanations begin to cluster around issues such as brainwashing, indoctrination, grooming, and radicalisation of vulnerable personalities. The truth almost certainly lies somewhere in between. The lesson from psychology is that there is no obvious suicide terrorist personality. Individuals reach the point of carrying out a suicide attack through a process which generally has more to do with social psychology then with the tenets of clinical or abnormal psychology. Used effectively, these insights can be tremendously helpful in stripping away many of the myths and assumptions which surround debates on suicide terrorism and leave us with a more realistic assessment of the perpetrators, who they are, how they see themselves and what forces motivate and drive them. A realistic understanding here is a vital first step in developing more effective approaches for both countering and preventing suicide terrorism.
The phenomenon of suicide bombing: A review of psychological and nonpsychological factors
… of Crisis Intervention and Suicide …, 2006
This article reviews the literature on the phenomenon of suicide bombing. It addresses the question of just how much a psychological understanding of the individuals involved can aid in prevention. The article looks at historical, epidemiological, and cultural perspectives and compares the nonpsychological and psychological approaches to suicide bombing. On the basis of the material available it seems that social processes such as group-dynamic indoctrination and political factors are decisive in analyzing this problem. Cultural, nationalistic, and religious factors are important. The conclusion is that in suicidal bombing, suicide is instrumental in the context of war, not in the context of psychopathology. Suicide bombing is instrumental in realizing fatalities, and it is only one of many weapons. The act of killing in warfare is more important to understanding suicidal terrorism than the act of suicide. This explains why psychological profiling of suicidal terrorists has to date not been successful.
Suicide Terrorism: Exploring Motivations.
hy do certain individuals sit, plan, organise, and despatch other individuals to kill themselves in the hope of killing others "in such a horrific way at the bus stop or in a crowded market," i in air planes as well as cafes, mosques and churches when regular commando action, shooting sprees and regular bombs should suffice? This study focuses on the deployment of suicide attacks by certain organisation, and attempts to answer the question 'why?'' Extant studies tend to focus on the grievances of terrorist organisations and the suicide bombers. The deliberate appropriation of the suicide attack tactic by the leadership of these organisations in spite of 'grievance' is often ignored.
Suicide Terrorists: Are They Suicidal
Suicide and Life-threatening Behavior, 2007
This paper investigates whether suicide terrorists are suicidal. A review of the worldwide literature on suicide terrorism uncovered five published empirical studies describing data collected from potential suicide terrorists or the surviving friends and families of deceased terrorists. The many discrepancies uncovered between suicide terrorists and other suicides, on key factors known to underpin suicidality, suggest that such terrorists are not truly suicidal and should not be viewed as a subgroup of the general suicide population. Nonetheless, methods developed by suicidologists, such as the psychological autopsy, will help increase our understanding of the individual and group factors which underpin suicide terrorism.
Understanding Suicide Bombers: An Interdisciplinary Approach
On September 11th, the west experienced firsthand the horrific reality of the suicide attacks that plague the Middle East. This phenomenon has sparked a flood of interest in both the region and the underlying causes behind such attacks. What motivates a usually young man to end his life prematurely in an act of mass murder? The predominant theory is that this is an effect of their theology. Their faith in Islam is what makes these people able to destroy their own lives, usually for rewards in the afterlife. Given the rhetoric of these attackers, and the politicians in the region this is the first guess one might make as to this perplexing mystery. This, however, does not stand up to scrutiny. Scholars have studied the mystery of the suicide attacker in many fields, and while they brought forward a plethora of explanations, none seem to point to religion as a major cause. This paper will investigate different theories as to the real motivations behind their attacks, and attempt to begin an interdisciplinary explanation which has so far been locked away in different intellectual silos. The political scientists, economists, military theorists, psychologists, and sociologists have all put forward valid motivating factors for suicide attackers that need to be assembled into a complete picture.
Devising a Theory of Suicide Terror
2004
This article explains why suicide bombing has been effective in some conflicts while in others it has been rejected or abandoned. What motivates organizations to employ violence, and how does suicide terrorism inflame or respond to public opinion?
The Phenomenon of Suicide Bombing
Crisis: The Journal of Crisis Intervention and Suicide Prevention, 2006
This article reviews the literature on the phenomenon of suicide bombing. It addresses the question of just how much a psychological understanding of the individuals involved can aid in prevention. The article looks at historical, epidemiological, and cultural perspectives and compares the nonpsychological and psychological approaches to suicide bombing. On the basis of the material available it seems that social processes such as group-dynamic indoctrination and political factors are decisive in analyzing this problem. Cultural, nationalistic, and religious factors are important. The conclusion is that in suicidal bombing, suicide is instrumental in the context of war, not in the context of psychopathology. Suicide bombing is instrumental in realizing fatalities, and it is only one of many weapons. The act of killing in warfare is more important to understanding suicidal terrorism than the act of suicide. This explains why psychological profiling of suicidal terrorists has to date not been successful.
A motivational analysis of suicidal terrorism is outlined, anchored in the notion of significance quest. It is suggested that heterogeneous factors identified as personal causes of suicidal terrorism (e.g. trauma, humiliation, social exclusion), the various ideological reasons assumed to justify it (e.g. liberation from foreign occupation, defense of one's nation or religion), and the social pressures brought upon candidates for suicidal terrorism may be profitably subsumed within an integrative framework that explains diverse instances of suicidal terrorism as attempts at significance restoration, significance gain, and prevention of significance loss. Research and policy implications of the present analysis are considered.