NCJ Number
90680
Journal
Behavioral Sciences and the Law Volume: 1 Issue: 2 Dated: (1983) Pages: 19-32
Date Published
1983
Length
14 pages
Annotation
Female terrorism is part of a male-engineered, male-dominated activity. The male terrorist struggling for power welcomes the female terrorist's aid and actively seeks it, but he will not share his power with her.
Abstract
The article deals with the female terrorist, her sociopsychological characteristics, and her role within the terrorist organization. There is no archetypal female terrorist; her description is varied from her physique to her role within the organization to her psychological makeup. Women take up terrorism either by their own initiative or through a secondary other and are most often introduced to it by a male. Although women terrorists have the equality to fight or die by the side of their male counterparts, their power position frequently is less than that of the male. The female's sexuality plays an important role in the group dynamics and does alter the nature of terrorism itself. The article explores the implications of these findings for the future of terrorism and the participation of women. A total of 19 footnotes and about 45 references are provided. (Author abstract modified)