The use of family networks in suicide terrorism: a case study of the 2018 Surabaya attacks

Abstract

ABSTRACT This article investigates the use of family networks in suicide terrorism using the 2018 Surabaya suicide attacks as a case study. The Surabaya attacks were the first case in the region that involved entire family networks including parents and their young children. The main aim of the article is to provide an understanding of the use of family networks in suicide terrorism particularly that of women and children and explore the implications that it has for the region. It is argued that there are numerous advantages of using women and children in suicide terrorism which will continue to be exploited by terrorist groups. A simplified model of motivating factors for suicide attackers is proposed and it is found that the three main motivating factors are ideology, socio-cultural factors and personal crises. The Surabaya case shows that individuals may be motivated to carry out suicide attacks primarily by a misconstrued religious ideology rather than motivations that are nationalistic in nature. The Surabaya case is not an isolated case and the use of family networks is likely to be a growing trend in future suicide attacks.