Are terrorists mentally ill of fanatics? Individual and Group psychology Role of leadership

1. Terrorism: Psychology and Suicides
Tiiu Pohl - 2019

2. Terrorism: Psychology
Psychology

3. Terrorism: Psychology
Approaches to terrorism analyses
● Multi-causal
● Political
● Organizational
● Psychological

4. Terrorism: Psychology
Often terrorists have been understood:
• mentally ill
• fanatics
1. Psychologists – different explanations, also rationality
2. Psychologists - rationalization of terrorism – bad too
3. Psychologists - terrorists do not share a common
psychological profile

5. Terrorism: Psychology
Every terrorist act, behind – Individual
Killer
Victim
Suicide bomber – killer or victim
Terrorist act, behind – Group
Group psychology
Mind and behavioral part

6. Terrorism: Psychology
“While nothing is easier than to denounce
the evildoer, nothing is more difficult
than to understand him”
[Dostoyevsky]
● Psychology is one of the possibilities

7. Terrorism: Psychology
• Personal characteristics of terrorists – complicated
• Question of motives
• Terrorist mindset – studies
• Since 1980s – individual, groups and individuals as
part of a groups
• Profiling – a method of studies

8. Terrorism: Psychology
“Lone Wolf”
• Terrorist acting in isolation
• Person committing violence due to unequivocally irrational
motives (in his case, paranoid schizophrenia)?
• Role or responsibility is determined partly by self-selection

9. Terrorism: Psychology
Recruitment sources for terrorist groups
[in other words - psychology of radicalization]:
• passive - active sympathizers
• jails (prisoners with terrorist contacts)
• prisoner support groups (?)
• family member or friend with terrorist contacts
• individual lost out of society can become a monk or a
recluse instead of a terrorist …
• would-be terrorist … opportunity … needed

10. Terrorism: Psychology
For further information about the slides, please contact
tiiupohl@gmail.com