Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Psychology of Terrorism

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • Psychology of Terrorism

    This is some research that I have been working on for a little while and would like to some input from other people, pro and con. There are a couple of disclaimers that I am going to set forth here, and that is the scope I am setting forth deals with terrorism in the Middle-East. Second, this is not all encompassing for the purpose of brevity. This is long enough as it is.

    There are two typologies to categorize terrorists, the Anarchic-ideologue and the Nationalist-secessionist.

    The Anarchic-ideologue is an individual coming from a severely dysfunctional family suffering severe abuse and maltreatment. Their extremist ideology is the displacement of their rebellion and hostility onto the state authority. They act out their hostility by rebelling against the state of their parents.

    The Nationalist-secessionist is not hostile but loyal to his parents. His extremism is motivated by retaliating or avenging the wrongs done to his parents by the state.

    For purpose of clarification, the state is not necessarily the terrorist’s own state, nor is the definition of family his own physical family. It is duly noted that strong tribal family bonds are preeminent in the Middle-East.

    There are many factors that affect political violence and terrorism specifically.
    - Does psychopathology come into play in the role of terrorist?
    - What is the role of ideology in terrorist behavior?
    - To what extent are an individuals life experiences relevant for understanding or preventing terrorism?
    - How and why do people enter, stay in, and leave terrorist organizations?
    - To what extent are an individual’s life experience relevant for understanding and preventing terrorism?

    Terrorism was long regarded as an antisocial behavior. Their appearance as cold blooded killers gave observers such a conclusion. However there is no evidence linking psychopathy with terrorism. Researchers noticed that a trend emerged which asserts that terrorists possess many of the traits of pathological personalities but not the actual clinical disorder. Terrorists do not show a striking psychopathology, in fact their common characteristics is their normality.

    The strength of radical Islam is the influence and control over primary education, in large part because the clergy takes care of basic education. One pattern that emerges is the low government spending by Islamic nations.

    The prevalent malignant narcissism that exists in the Middle East is spreading like cultural bacteria in a Petri dish. Madrassas spend about 40 percent of their time teaching religious subjects, with the rest being devoted to grammar, rhetoric, public speaking, logic, philosophy, Arabic literature, Islamic law, theology, medicine, mathematics, polemics, etc. There is an emphasis on how evil non-Moslems are, and how good it is for Moslems to fight against the evil infidels (non-Moslems). Part of the curriculum includes “kill the Jews.” This is where al Qaeda came from. This is where many of the recruits for Islamic terrorism come from. Malignant narcissism is taught at grade one in Madrassas.

    There is a high rate of attrition among terrorist groups, to ensure there is a new crop of recruits every year, the Madrassas’ are instrumental in providing a new batch of ideological young men.

    Another factor, which seems to be remiss in other papers and I believe due to fear to actually address it, is sexual frustration, tension and lack of intimacy. In a world where women where burqas and rape is the woman’s fault it is my belief that it must play a role in some part. Where young Arabic men cannot find sexual release from normal outlets, their frustration turns to violence.

    A state of rampant paranoia persists throughout the middle-east, going beyond that of delusional westerner’s fears of government intrusion and mind control. It seems that some Iraqis believe that American soldiers carry poison-tipped bullets and eat babies, Americans can peek through women’s clothing with X-ray sunglasses.

    It is my contingency that in order for there to be a change, we must affect a change in the way that younger generations are educated.

  • #2
    wow a lot to think about and prepare for answering, also I think it maybe a little "busy" covering a lot of other social areas as well as terrorism, albeit I agree terrorism is a complex issue
    Last edited by T_igger_cs_30; 31 Jan 08,, 17:32.
    sigpicFEAR NAUGHT

    Should raw analytical data ever be passed to policy makers?

    Comment


    • #3
      Originally posted by Bad Karma View Post
      This is some research that I have been working on for a little while and would like to some input from other people, pro and con. There are a couple of disclaimers that I am going to set forth here, and that is the scope I am setting forth deals with terrorism in the Middle-East. Second, this is not all encompassing for the purpose of brevity. This is long enough as it is.

      There are two typologies to categorize terrorists, the Anarchic-ideologue and the Nationalist-secessionist.

      The Anarchic-ideologue is an individual coming from a severely dysfunctional family suffering severe abuse and maltreatment. Their extremist ideology is the displacement of their rebellion and hostility onto the state authority. They act out their hostility by rebelling against the state of their parents.

      The Nationalist-secessionist is not hostile but loyal to his parents. His extremism is motivated by retaliating or avenging the wrongs done to his parents by the state.

      For purpose of clarification, the state is not necessarily the terrorist’s own state, nor is the definition of family his own physical family. It is duly noted that strong tribal family bonds are preeminent in the Middle-East.

      There are many factors that affect political violence and terrorism specifically.
      -
      HTML Code:
      Does psychopathology come into play in the role of terrorist?
      Without question, if you can kill without remorse to gain you own ends then you are psycopathic.

      -
      HTML Code:
      What is the role of ideology in terrorist behavior?
      I would think even a terrorist has to believe in his cause, or he would just be a "serial killer"

      -
      HTML Code:
      To what extent are an individuals life experiences relevant for understanding or preventing terrorism?
      I would say a great deal, background, education,personal values etc all play a role in shaping ur future.

      -
      HTML Code:
      How and why do people enter, stay in, and leave terrorist organizations?
      Complex question, Enter I would say many reasons, indoctrination, believe, financial reward, revenge to name a few.
      stay in as for entering I would think.
      Leave I should say, reaisation of the futility of it, shame, or become a suicide bomber.


      - To what extent are an individual’s life experience relevant for understanding and preventing terrorism?

      HTML Code:
      Terrorism was long regarded as an antisocial behavior. Their appearance as cold blooded killers gave observers such a conclusion. However there is no evidence linking psychopathy with terrorism. Researchers noticed that a trend emerged which asserts that terrorists possess many of the traits of pathological personalities but not the actual clinical disorder. Terrorists do not show a striking psychopathology, in fact their common characteristics is their normality.
      So are you saying the terrorist is normal and the rest of the world is not?

      HTML Code:
      The strength of radical Islam is the influence and control over primary education, in large part because the clergy takes care of basic education. One pattern that emerges is the low government spending by Islamic nations.
      Sure could be a factor, but many many people come from low income background and poor countries, but do not turn to terrorism

      HTML Code:
      The prevalent malignant narcissism that exists in the Middle East is spreading like cultural bacteria in a Petri dish. Madrassas spend about 40 percent of their time teaching religious subjects, with the rest being devoted to grammar, rhetoric, public speaking, logic, philosophy, Arabic literature, Islamic law, theology, medicine, mathematics, polemics, etc. There is an emphasis on how evil non-Moslems are, and how good it is for Moslems to fight against the evil infidels (non-Moslems). Part of the curriculum includes “kill the Jews.” This is where al Qaeda came from. This is where many of the recruits for Islamic terrorism come from. Malignant narcissism is taught at grade one in Madrassas.
      thetoric and indoctrination, if it is to blame how come every single moslem is not a terririst?

      HTML Code:
      There is a high rate of attrition among terrorist groups, to ensure there is a new crop of recruits every year, the Madrassas’ are instrumental in providing a new batch of ideological young men
      .
      "little Angels, very very sad.

      HTML Code:
      Another factor, which seems to be remiss in other papers and I believe due to fear to actually address it, is sexual frustration, tension and lack of intimacy. In a world where women where burqas and rape is the woman’s fault it is my belief that it must play a role in some part. Where young Arabic men cannot find sexual release from normal outlets, their frustration turns to violence.
      Find this one a hard one to swallow,(no pun intended) if you said there "frustration turns to homosexuality" it would make more sense therefore has no part in this discussion.

      HTML Code:
      A state of rampant paranoia persists throughout the middle-east, going beyond that of delusional westerner’s fears of government intrusion and mind control. It seems that some Iraqis believe that American soldiers carry poison-tipped bullets and eat babies, Americans can peek through women’s clothing with X-ray sunglasses
      .
      Pure propoganda plain and simple, ayone who has been indoctrinated since birth wil fall for this crap.

      HTML Code:
      It is my contingency that in order for there to be a change, we must affect a change in the way that younger generations are educated
      .
      I hate to end on this comment but I can think of no other, that is a case of stating the bloody obvious!!!!
      .
      sigpicFEAR NAUGHT

      Should raw analytical data ever be passed to policy makers?

      Comment


      • #4
        Please excuse the poor job I did of quoting been awhile have to remember how to do it
        sigpicFEAR NAUGHT

        Should raw analytical data ever be passed to policy makers?

        Comment


        • #5
          Without question, if you can kill without remorse to gain you own ends then you are psycopathic.
          I would think even a terrorist has to believe in his cause, or he would just be a "serial killer"


          - Not entirely, which is why psychatrists ruled out psychopathy as a factor in determining what a terrorist is, in fact your second statement sums up why they are not. Terrorists exhibit many traits of a psychopath, but not all, which is why they were classified as such originally. The traits inherent in psychopathy that they do not have are:
          1. Unreliability
          2. Untruthfulness and insincerity
          3. Poor judgment and failure to learn by experience
          4. Specific loss of insight
          5. Failure to follow any life plan
          6. Unresponsiveness in general interpersonal relations
          7. Failure to accept responsibility for own actions
          8. Promiscuous sexual behavior

          What they do have are:
          1. Lack of remorse and shame
          2. Superficial charm and good "intelligence"
          3. Absence of delusions and other signs of irrational thinking
          4. Sex life impersonal, trivial, and poorly integrated - Which brings up my other point that sexual frustrations and lack of intimacy have led to violence. Despite denial, homosexuality is prevelant, and in a society where it is condemned and you have no outlet for sexual desire it can lead to violence.

          thetoric and indoctrination, if it is to blame how come every single moslem is not a terririst?
          - Everyone reacts differently to how they are indoctorinated. There are definite factors in early childhood that mold a serial killer, but there are people who have undergone the same abuse and lack of intimacy that have not evolved into serial killers. It is just an aspect of an outcome.

          Comment

          Working...
          X