Introduction
To be able to counter terrorism threats, it is essential to understand what factors influence the decision of people that join a terrorist organization. The chosen topic is related to issues of terrorism. The social phycology concept of attitude change is relevant to the subject as it is focused on how individuals’ behavior is affected by social factors. The literature in question explores the problem of why somebody wants to be engaged in terrorism and methods for identifying the risk factors that can indicate the possibility of a person being interested in violent activities.
Literature Review
Altier, Thoroughgood, and Horgan (2014) have focused their research on why people choose to leave terrorist organizations. While it is essential to understand the aspect of joining such groups, the question of why one decides to disengage is vital in providing an understanding of how to oppose the terrorists and their recruiting efforts. The authors pointed out the lack of clearly identified concepts in the field of study. Both Rusbult’s investment model and Ebaugh’s theory were applied to explain the motivation behind the decision to leave. Also, the authors examine the “push” and “pull” factors within the study (Altier, Thoroughgood & Horgan, 2014, p. 30). The analysis can be used to develop policies that would discourage people from joining terrorist organizations.
Borum (2015) explored the question of why people choose to become terrorists. The author stated that there are various methods for assessing the possibility of a person involving oneself in violent activities. However, there are no studies with empirical evidence, which explore the topic of terrorist group involvement and factors that influence it. The survey, conducted by the author suggests several approaches to risk assessment with regards to terrorism engagement. Also, Borum (2015) suggested guiding principles for developing similar methods. Additionally, he proposed the concept of a formulation-based model for terrorism assessment possibilities.
Combs (2018) explored the activities of terrorists about the twenty-first-century implications. In the book, various aspects of the issue are explained, including the author’s research on the topic of who are terrorists and how they operate. Combs (2018) examined the ideology and other factors that contribute to the likelihood of one joining a radical organization. Most importantly, the author offered an insight into the current and future trends that affect the terrorist groups. The book is useful as it provides a clear understanding of how the groups recruit people and how they operate as well as the prospects of their activity.
Doosje et al. (2016) focused their research on the radicalization and de-radicalization aspects of terrorism. The phases for the latter process are distinguished as well as the levels of factors that influence it. The authors examined the importance of group membership and intergroup relationships in the aspect of radicalization. The research is useful as it explains the social factors that influence the decision of individuals that join terrorist groups.
LaFree and Freilich (2017) have focused the study on the criminology aspect of terrorism. The authors acknowledged that understanding the factors such as when, why, and how are essential to building proper scientific concepts that can help battle terrorism. They admitted that the etiology of the issue is complicated. Therefore, no single model can help one understand why individuals join terrorist organizations. The book is useful as it explains how the terrorism issue arises on the individual and global level and the various nuances of the ideology.
The author of Misunderstanding Terrorism has been gathering information on the issue for forty-five years (Sageman, 2017). In addition to research, he has conducted interviews with several members of the terrorist groups. The presented knowledge provides an insight into what motivates the people that are a part of these groups and how they perceive their actions. The author argued that the portrayal of these organizations in the media and by the government differs from reality. This fact in return objects to the possibility of understanding how the organizations function. The book is useful as it offers a different perspective on the topic, therefore adding to the recognition of what motivates people to join the terrorist groups.
Onuoha (2014) explored the question of why young people join Boko Haram – a Nigerian terrorist group. The contributing factors, in this case, are poverty, unemployment, illiteracy, as well as family structure. Also, preachers in the area offer a radicalized view of religion. The author provided the approach that international organizations can utilize in this case to weaken the recruiting efforts of Boko Haram. The research is useful as it presents factual information regarding a specific terrorist group.
Conclusion
All in all, the presented works help understand the critical question of how and why people join terrorist organizations. Some research suggested that there is no unified model for the process, offering various outlooks. Others identified social factors that influence the decision-making process. Also, a study based on the Boko Haram terrorist group provided an understanding of specified causes that allow terrorists to recruit people in their group. The research can be used to develop policies that would discourage individuals from joining radical organizations.
References
Altier, M., Thoroughgood, C., & Horgan, J. (2014). Turning away from terrorism: lessons from psychology, sociology, and criminology. Journal of Peace Research, 51(5), 647-661. Web.
Borum, R. (2015). Assessing risk for terrorism involvement. Journal of Threat Assessment and Management, 2(2), 63-87. Web.
Combs, C. (2018). Terrorism in the twenty-first century (8th ed.). New York, NY: Routledge.
Doosje, B., Moghaddam, F., Kruglanski, A., de Wolf, A., Mann, L., & Feddes, A. (2016). Terrorism, radicalization, and de-radicalization. Current Opinion in Psychology, 11, 79-84. Web.
LaFree, G., & Freilich, J. (2017). The handbook of the criminology of terrorism. West Sussex: Wiley Blackwell.
Sageman, M. (2017). Misunderstanding terrorism. Philadelphia, PA: University of Pennsylvania Press.
Onuoha, F. C. (2014). Why do youth join Boko Haram?United States Institute of Peace, 348. Web.