Who Becomes A Terrorist?

Who Becomes A Terrorist?Psychological profileFrederic J. Hacker (1976), an American psychologist, once classified terrorists as crusaders, criminals, or crazies, a view that much of the public would probably accept as accurate

Benarkah demikian?Crazy?No evidence that persons suffering from mental disorders are overrepresented in the ranks of terrorists, even though there maybe individuals with problems in some groups.

The groups can not rely on individuals with psychological problems because their mental disorders make them potentially unstable and put organizations at poor security

Suicide attackers, for example, have not displayed suicidal tendencies as individuals. They appear to volunteer for suicide missions in order to advance the cause of the groupCriminals/opportunists?Criminals want to improve their opportunities for financial gain by weakening the government

Opportunist like white-merchant may join Ku Klux Klan which provided useful personal contacts in business

Crusader?Crusader = those who are committed to the cause that the organization is pursuing

Crusader, or believer, would display above average dedication to the political objectives of the group

They have the willingness to use violence that require a higher level of commitment or beliefAnomie?Anomie = someone who has been displaced from a comfortable or supporting social structure into new circumstances that are unstructured for them and may even be chaotic

The dislocations that come with the economic, social, and cultural changes associated with globalization and modernization can create anomie

Examples: persons who move from rural villages to urban area, immigrants, prison populations

All of the individuals in anomic situations can be attracted to a variety of organizations, including radical and violentPrison form a primary ground for both radicalization and recruitment... In terms of radicalization, prisons are in themselves environments conducive to the radicalization of alienated individuals who have dismissed society and are in search of a new or higher purpose in life (Korteweg et al. 2010: 32)

Age and SexTo some extent terrorist groups involve teens and younger adults. Older adults are underrepresentedThe leadership cadres often involve older and perhaps less physically fit individuals -> Sheikh Ahmed Yassin of Palestinian HAMAS

Active members of terrorist groups are much more likely to be malesBut nowadays women have become more important in many organizations and they have increasingly become involved in attacks themselves -> Ulrike Meinhof, Fusako ShigenobuNationalist/ethnic GroupsThe groups tends to attract members from that ethnic group or nationality; even though there may be sympathetic and dedicated outsiders or opportunists from other segments of the population The large portions of population may disagree with the groups terror tactics but they may still agree with the general objectivesDifficult for government to gather information of the group from the population since they perceived grievances from governmentEthnic terrorist groups reflect tendency towards younger and male activists but they still have been willing to use women in their operations -> Algerian National Liberation Front in late 1950s, LTTE, the ChechensReligious GroupsReligious groups sometimes are seen as being composed of committed individuals, some of them extremely dedicated, who are driven by their spiritual valuesThe members often are representative of broader populationsSome religious groups involve older activists and often attracted educated individuals (college graduates) -> Dr. AzahariThese activists are also frequently members of small, close-knit groups whose attitudes reinforce each other (Atran, 2008) -> Ali Gufron, Amrozi, Ali ImronMany religious groups have been less likely to involve women as activistsThere are two distinct types of religious individuals who may be more likely to join a terrorist group:Recent converts who often are the most adamant in their belief patternsImmigrants in societies whwre the majority religion is different; they find themselves isolated in their new communities and can not integrate into the majority society, it make them turn to religious communities instead for a social or support networkIdeological GroupsLeft-wing and right-wing groups tend to be different in many ways in terms of the characteristics of the activistsAge: Left-wing groups had relatively youthful leaders because the groups attracted and were largely composed of students. Right-wing groups on the contrary seem to usually have older leadersEducation: Left-wing groups have frequently included large numbers of university students or recent graduates. Right-wing groups on the other hand appear to attract individuals with lower levels of educationSex: Women have played a more prominent role in left-wing groups than in right-wing

Government RepressionIndividuals who have lost family members or close friends to the military, police often join violent opposition groups to avenge the death of individuals close to them (Silke, 2005) -> the Black Widow suicide bombers of Chechnya

Individuals with no link to terrorist groups are likely to join such groups if they have been vigorously questioned by the police and mistreated or tortured in the processSupport StructureTerrorist groups can provide a sense of belonging for members and give individuals support that they might not have -> solidarity In fact, members of many groups do become very dependent on the group for social network and emotional support since they often become increasingly isolated from the broader societySolidarity with the group becomes increasingly important for the members; it is often difficult for long-standing members to exit the group and reintegrate into society