The psychological aspects of terrorism: from denial to hyperbole

Abstract

Living seems to have become a risky pursuit. Last year a school in England banned tinsel at the Christmas party lest pupils strangled themselves on it. Other schools have banned the time-honoured playground sport of ‘conkers’ unless pupils wear goggles and protective gloves. More recently, the EU has expressed concern for Bavarian barmaids who, by wearing the traditional low cut ‘dirndl’, might be overexposed to ultra-violet radiation. Because the media serve as an influential vector of risk transmission, we need to recalibrate frequently the levels of threat around us. In this ‘risky’ world, we also have to come to terms with the constantly emphasized threat of terrorism. Terrorism poses a number of dilemmas. First, we need security without compromising civil liberties. Second, we need forewarning without inducing unnecessary alarm. Third, we need to invest in preparation for possible terrorist incidents without jeopardizing our commitment to other major responsibilities. Fourth, we need to be vigilant and cautious but without paralysis and paranoia. Unfortunately, research on terrorism is patchy but some lessons have been learned, often painfully (e.g. through IRA incidents); we cannot afford to ignore them. Moreover, the so-called ‘war on terrorism’, if pursued only in terms of military power and increased physical security, will fail. ‘Without attention to the psychological side of terrorism we run the risk of losing the war, because in the final analysis, the psychological aspects of terrorism represent not merely one such battle within the war, they represent the war itself.’1