Understanding the Terrorist

This module explores the motivation for individual terrorists. It also explores the use of psychological profiling for identifying potential terrorists.

Click here to view the RIF terrorist quiz.

Focus Questions

What psychological 'barriers' must a terrorist overcome to justify the use of violence?
What is profiling? Is it justified?
Does profiling violate the American principle of fair, nondiscriminatory practices?
What disadvantages are there to identifying specific traits of terrorist-group members that generalize to other, nonterrorist members of the civilian population (e.g., ethnic or religious characteristics)?