Counter-Terrorism: Psychological and Behavioral Factors among Terrorists
Introduction
Terrorism is a major contemporary issue affecting individuals from different countries, as well as imposing challenges to various governments around the world. There is a difference between terrorist leaders, such as the late Osama Bin Laden and other suicide bombers. Terrorist leaders are usually slippery and hard to counter or kill. However, suicide bombers do not value their lives and undertake to risk their lives to accomplish their missions. Criminal behaviors can be described using two approaches, which include genetic factors and the role of the environment on behavioral development (Khan & Nhlabatsi, 2017). The two factors constitute the leading causes of criminal behaviors among criminals. The psychological aspects of the terrorists also depend on their level of intelligence and not mental capability. In other words, terrorist activities are not because of mental problems but are based on genetic and environmental causes. Psychologists have tried to explain and connect criminal behaviors with possible causes and developed an approach revealing the effects of genetic factors and environmental influence on individuals’ behaviors. Behavioral development, as proposed by psychological factors, shows the possibility of acquiring either positive or negative behaviors depending on the behaviors of people around and the available environmental resources. Arguably, the research aims at finding the psychological and behavioral factors of terrorists, such as suicide bombers.
Psychological and Behavioral Factors of Terrorists
Behavioral development starts at childhood, where children acquire new traits from the environment as well as the innate characters initiated by genes passed from parents to offspring. Nature-nurture controversy explains both mental and behavioral developments in human beings; therefore, it can be used to understand the prevalence of criminal behaviors among some people. Suicide bombers tend to risk their lives with the aim of killing as many people as possible. Psychological theories of criminals propose four basic concepts explaining the development of criminality among individuals (Corner & Gill, 2019). The factors include failure in psychological development, acquired traits of aggression and violence, inherited personality traits, and the relationship of criminality to mental illness. The four factors are the significant determinants of criminal activities among major terrorists, such as suicide bombers. Starting with the first factor, failure of psychological development at the early stages of an individuals’ life may contribute to the absence of important traits that would protect such people from negativity. Therefore, such individuals are at high risk of developing criminal behaviors since any positivity does not influence them. Secondly, acquired traits of aggression and violence are key contributors to criminology among many people. The acquisition of such factors may be due to the prevailing environmental issues subjected to a person. For example, a person exposed to suicide bombers throughout their lives may end up developing such traits regardless of the innate traits. Every individual has a specific chemical makeup of their brains, which determines the innate traits.
Criminal’s mental compositions are assumed to constitute special chemicals that trigger aggressiveness, violence, and extra-ordinary courage to conduct criminal activities regardless of the consequences. Another psychological aspect of criminal behavior is inherited traits. Parents pass their biological genotypes to offspring. Therefore, if parents have genes of criminality, then there are high chances that their children may have similar behaviors. Lastly, there is a link between crime and the mental state of an individual. A suicide bomber may be influenced to conduct criminal activity based on their mental state. Mental state may be due to factors such as stress, posttraumatic stress disorders, and other disturbing psychological states. Individuals undergoing such problems may not fear to conduct such risky missions.
Causes of Terrorist Behaviors
Several factors may result in terrorism, especially highly risky activities such as suicide bombing. One of the causes of such activities includes religious beliefs and the preformed decision about the killing activities. For example, most suicide bombers are from the Islamic religion, where they believe in Jihad (Neo, Khader, Ang, Ong, & Tan, 2017). The Jihad rule proposes that any person who sacrifices their lives to kill other people shall inherit the kingdom of their supernatural being. Such beliefs play significant roles in initiating criminal behaviors among many people within such religions. Most terrorist groups around the world are from religion. Another cause of criminal activities is the prevalence of mental problems within an individual. Some people are undergoing severe mental conditions that may make them sacrifice their lives, along with other people’s lives. Another possible cause of such activities is poverty. Major terrorist groups, forcing them to accept the principle of Jihad, recruit many youths. Such people may agree to the terms of the war due to their economic conditions, therefore, undertaking to risks their lives for financial gain. Besides, major criminals such as the suicide bombers are due to the chemical makeup of their brains, necessitating their aggression and violence towards others.
Conclusion
Ultimately, criminal activities are serious behavioral defects by persons who may be suffering from various behavioral, developmental issues. Suicide bombers are examples of terrorists who undertake to die to accomplish their missions. Several factors may result in such behaviors. Such people may be forced to kill themselves, they may be having mental disorders, or they may be staunch believers of certain religions allowing such practices. Criminality is viewed in terms of psychological factors with an individual and the various causes of search behaviors.
References
Corner, E., & Gill P. (2019). Psychological Distress, Terrorist Involvement, and Disengagement from Terrorism: A sequence Analysis Approach. Journal of Quantitative Criminology, 1-28.
Khan, K., M., & Nhlabatsi, A. (2017). Identifying Common Behaviors Traits of Lone Wolves in Recent Terrorist Attacks in Europe. International Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences, 11(7), 1821-1824.
Neo, L., S., Khader, M., Ang, J., Ong, G., & Tan, E. (2017). Developing an early screening guide for jihad terrorism: A behavioral analysis of 30 terror attacks. Security Journal, 30 (1), 227-246.