The Search for the Terrorist Personality

The Radicalization Puzzle: A Theoretical Synthesis of Empirical Approaches to Homegrown Extremism

“…6 Earlier attempts to reveal the "terrorist personality" and draw conclusions from their demographic makeup have largely been abandoned. 7 The attempt to shift the focus away from profiling extremists to profiling the radicalization pathways they take is a step in the right direction, but it too has failed to yield a conclusive model of radicalization. Put simply, we have the pieces of the puzzle, but we lack the representative image that informs us how best to put them together.…”

From Naïvety to Insurgency: Becoming a Paramilitary in Northern Ireland

“…They have traditionally been seen as possessing psychological disorders that make them capable of committing murderous atrocities (Horgan, 2003 ;Silke, 1998 ). Although this myth of the ' mad ' terrorist still exists and is repeatedly recreated in the popular media, there is a growing awareness that this reductionist explanation based on individual abnormality is inadequate and probably no more than wishful thinking (Burgess et al, 2005a(Burgess et al, , 2005bHorgan, 2003 ;Louis & Taylor, 2002 ;Oberschall, 2004 ;Silke, 1998 ;Victoroff, 2005 ).…”

“…Terrorist acts are generally committed by young males aged 15 to 25 (Silke, 2003b ). Research consistently demonstrates that jihadist movements normally recruit and train unmarried males in their late teens or early twenties (Horgan, 2003 ). Age and gender seem to be the only biological or genetic factors at play in distinguishing potential recruits to armed groups from those less inclined to join (Silke, 2003b ).…”

A Need to Conduct Problem Oriented Research to Counter Events Like 26/11 – A Review

“…18,21 Terrorist organizational patterns have evolved from the more "traditional" hierarchical types of organization to increasingly cellular and network-based structures, whether these are single groups, or part of a "solar" network of linked groupings. 18,22,23 Democratic set up allows some of the larger and more established terrorist groups to also maintain parallel 'legal' organizational structures, such as political, economic and social welfare front organizations, which enable them to expand their bases of support. Social network analysis can be utilized to develop network linkages within and among terrorist groups, 13 to identify the organizational structure of terrorist networks, 13,17 how they are formed, where cells are located, and the relationships within and among terrorist operatives, and among terrorist groups.…”

“…Such studies will reveal individual aggressiveness, narcissism, anti-social, personality disorder or paranoid personality disorder. 23 Studies in social behavior science can help detect and prevent attacks at the tactical level. For example, research in the behavior sciences could help us detect behaviors and patterns, such as gait and facial expressions that are characteristic of suicide bombers as they approach a target.…”