Terrorist Decision-Making, Ideology, and Counterterrorism

Abstract

Terrorism is a unique form of violent crime because it takes place in a political, economic, and social context larger than the act of violence itself. The study of terrorism in criminology and criminal justice has flourished since 2001 due to renewed academic interest and national security necessity to study the phenomenon, as well as increased availability in data resources. This chapter will address the definition of terrorism, the data sources available to study terrorism, the characteristics of those who participate in terrorist activity, terrorist behavior and how the organization’s ideology influences the types of terrorist attacks it carries out, and government responses with a particular focus on deterrence-based policies.