NCJ Number
225416
Date Published
2007
Length
12 pages
Annotation
After defining terrorism, this chapter discusses the motivation of terrorism, the importance of the social environment in promoting or preventing terrorism, and measures of socialization that can counter terrorism.
Abstract
This chapter defines “terrorism” as “a brutal solution to the problem of incompatibility among people, which works by destabilizing the psychological conditions of the opponent through violence, not limited by civilized morals and law.” Multiple motives are associated with the promotion and pursuit of terrorism. Motives can be economic, ideological, the drive to change the world according to one’s own vision of what it should be, to have authority over others, the excitement of risk-taking, revenge, and self-realization. The social environment is significant in promoting or preventing terrorism. This is shown by reviewing events in Pankisi (Georgia). The events in the city of Pankisi in Georgia show how the interaction of radical Muslims (“Wahhabists”) who settled in Pankisi after fleeing from Chechnya began preying on the local population through various criminal acts that qualified as terrorism. The Georgian Defense Ministry dispatched police to Pankisi to restore order. This resulted in forcing the radical Wahhabists out of the city, which restored social stability. The remainder of the chapter discusses features of the social environment that promote or prevent terrorism. Attention is given to the family as a socializing influence, along with schools, religious institutions, and peer groups. Also discussed are gender and social equality, responsible reporting by the mass media, and the values set by political parties. 15 references