NCJ Number
225417
Date Published
2007
Length
13 pages
Annotation
This study of the features of terrorist organizations focuses on the impact of group dynamics on terrorist decisionmaking.
Abstract
The study found that terrorist organizations attempt to recruit members from areas where the economic, political, and social conditions are unstable and promote hate, anger, and feelings of hopelessness and powerlessness, particularly among youth. In the course of socializing new recruits to the goals of the terrorist organization, they are taught that killing and committing violent acts against identified enemies and their infrastructure is the purpose of their lives and the means of achieving status and acceptance within the terrorist organization. The attraction and identity of the terrorist group is thus molded by the historical, cultural, and contextual features of life experienced outside of the terrorist group, which results in marginalization, alienation, frustration, anger, and hate toward those perceived as responsible for their misery. The terrorist organization becomes the guide for how to deal with these forces through violence and compliance with the demands of charismatic, committed terrorist leaders. Irving Janis’ groupthink theory is appropriately applied to terrorist groups. Janis uses the term “groupthink” to refer to a way of thinking characteristic of members of a cohesive group. Members lose their openness to alternative ways of thinking and their ability to think critically under the pressure of the group’s ideology. Strain within individuals is reduced by complying with the group ideology and policies. In interaction with a hostile external environment, the groupthink process intensifies as group cohesiveness and isolation becomes stronger. Groupthink and the demonizing of perceived enemies under group ideology and emotional reactions to opponents set the stage for extreme acts of violence as the main objective and defining achievement of terrorist groups. 4 figures and 32 references