Individual involvement into terroristic activity: sociological and psychological analysis

Abstract

The article is devoted to the description of an urgent psychological problem of involving a person into terroristic activity. Applied psychological researches and different types of the other literature analyzes the materials revealing different aspects of the processes connected to forming a terroristic environment and involving a person into it. The conclusions of the research show what kind of people are at risk of being recruited to a terroristic organization. The psychological roots of terrorism and terrorist behavior are analyzed. The role of the narcissistic defenses in the formation of extremist behavior and involvement in the terrorist environment is shown. Terrorist behavior is explained via the terms of theories on the conflict of cultures, stigma and the theory of subcultures. The work discloses the characteristics of an important stage in the formation of any terrorist group and the entire environment as a whole that is the formation and creation of the enemy image. Various stages of involvement in terrorist groups are presented and the main features of the individuals involved are highlighted within the article. Concluding up the ideas, it can be noted that entering into a terrorist network or a terroristic group a man loses their personality and individuality. This process leads to the fact of interests, objectives and goals narrowing. And the doctrines of the group that are the willingness to sacrifice, to break all previous social bonds contradicting the terroristic world-view come true. Here are the recommendations on the socio-psychological counteraction to the involvement of a person into a terroristic surrounding.