
Driven to Death
Psychological and Social Aspects of Suicide Terrorism
Ariel Merari(Author)
Oxford University Press Inc
1st Edition
Published on 2. December 2010
Book
Hardback
328 pages
978-0-19-518102-9 (ISBN)
Description
Suicide attacks are the definitive form of terrorism. More than any other terrorist tactic, they convey the ruthless willingness of present day terrorists to kill themselves for killing others. Since September 11, 2001 the number of suicide attacks around the world has risen dramatically, causing on average far more fatalities per attack than other forms of terrorism.
What drives a person to kill himself for killing others, in the name of a political or religious cause? This book is the first to report a series of studies in which failed suicide bombers and organizers of suicide attacks were subjected to systematic clinical psychological interviews and tests and were compared to non-suicide terrorists. This direct psychological examination enabled a first-hand assessment of the personality characteristics and motivation of suicide bombers. Additional interviews conducted by seasoned area specialists provided a comprehensive picture of the ways by which the suicide bombers were recruited, prepared and dispatched to their planned death, as well as how they felt and behaved along this road. This information was supplemented by data derived from interviews with the families of suicide bombers who died carrying out their attacks.
The psychological makeup of suicide terrorists is put into context in other chapters of the book, so as to provide an inclusive understanding of this phenomenon, which takes into account public atmosphere and the ways in which terrorist groups influence the suicide candidates. The book examines the characteristics of suicide terrorists in light of the most influential theories of suicide and offers a critical and innovative analysis of current explanations of suicide terrorism.
What drives a person to kill himself for killing others, in the name of a political or religious cause? This book is the first to report a series of studies in which failed suicide bombers and organizers of suicide attacks were subjected to systematic clinical psychological interviews and tests and were compared to non-suicide terrorists. This direct psychological examination enabled a first-hand assessment of the personality characteristics and motivation of suicide bombers. Additional interviews conducted by seasoned area specialists provided a comprehensive picture of the ways by which the suicide bombers were recruited, prepared and dispatched to their planned death, as well as how they felt and behaved along this road. This information was supplemented by data derived from interviews with the families of suicide bombers who died carrying out their attacks.
The psychological makeup of suicide terrorists is put into context in other chapters of the book, so as to provide an inclusive understanding of this phenomenon, which takes into account public atmosphere and the ways in which terrorist groups influence the suicide candidates. The book examines the characteristics of suicide terrorists in light of the most influential theories of suicide and offers a critical and innovative analysis of current explanations of suicide terrorism.
Reviews / Votes
In this important book, the author discusses the psychological, cultural and political factors that drive individuals to intentionally kill themselves in order to kill others on behalf of their political or religious cause. * Joshua Sinai, Perspectives on Terrorism *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
New York
United States
Target group
College/higher education
Professional and scholarly
The primary audience probably consists of people in academia, government and private security companies who are interested in terrorism. However, the book may also attract a much wider audience of lay people interested in current political issues in general and terrorism in particular.
Illustrations
4 halftones, 12 line illus.
Dimensions
Height: 240 mm
Width: 161 mm
Thickness: 24 mm
Weight
714 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-19-518102-9 (9780195181029)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Prof. Ariel Merari has studied terrorism and political violence for more than 30 years. He has been a faculty member of Tel Aviv University's Department of psychology, established the terrorism research program at the Jaffee Center for Strategic Studies, a visiting professor at Berkeley and Harvard, and a Senior Fellow at the Kennedy School's International Security Program. He has published widely on terrorism and was interviewed by all major television networks.
Content
Table of Contents
Acknowledgements
Ch. 1: Introduction
Ch. 2: History of Suicide for an Ideological Cause
Ch. 3: Demographic Characteristics of Suicide Bombers: A Global View
Ch. 4: Palestinian Suicide Bombers in the Eyes of Their Families
Ch. 5: A Controlled Study of Would-Be Suicides
Ch. 6: Psychological Characteristics and Decision Making of Palestinian Organizers of Suicide Attacks
Ch. 7: Public Atmosphere
Ch. 8: Suicide Terrorism in the Light of Suicide Theory
Ch. 9: Current Explanations of Suicide Terrorism
Ch. 10: Conclusion: A Comprehensive View of Suicide Terrorism
References
APPENDIX: Palestinian public attitudes to suicide terrorism - summary of polls
Acknowledgements
Ch. 1: Introduction
Ch. 2: History of Suicide for an Ideological Cause
Ch. 3: Demographic Characteristics of Suicide Bombers: A Global View
Ch. 4: Palestinian Suicide Bombers in the Eyes of Their Families
Ch. 5: A Controlled Study of Would-Be Suicides
Ch. 6: Psychological Characteristics and Decision Making of Palestinian Organizers of Suicide Attacks
Ch. 7: Public Atmosphere
Ch. 8: Suicide Terrorism in the Light of Suicide Theory
Ch. 9: Current Explanations of Suicide Terrorism
Ch. 10: Conclusion: A Comprehensive View of Suicide Terrorism
References
APPENDIX: Palestinian public attitudes to suicide terrorism - summary of polls