Terrorism

Throughout human history, there have been many threats to the security of nations. These threats have brought about large-scale losses of life, the destruction of property, widespread illness and injury, the displacement of large numbers of people, and devastating economic loss.
Terrorism is the use of force or violence against persons or property in violation of the criminal laws.
Acts of terrorism include threats of terrorism, assassinations, kidnappings, hijackings, bomb scares and bombings, cyber attacks (computer-based), and the use of chemical, biological, nuclear and radiological weapons.
Terrorists often use threats to:

• Create fear among the public.
• Try to convince citizens that their government is powerless to prevent terrorism.
• Get immediate publicity for their causes.

High-risk targets for acts of terrorism include military and civilian government facilities, international airports, large cities, and high-profile landmarks. Terrorists might also target large public gatherings, water and food supplies, utilities, and corporate centers. Further, terrorists are capable of spreading fear by sending explosives or chemical and biological agents through the mail.
A common suggestion is that there must be something wrong with terrorists. Terrorists must be crazy, or suicidal, or psychopaths without moral feelings or feelings for others. Thirty years ago this suggestion was taken very seriously, but thirty years of research has found psychopathology and personality disorder no more likely among terrorists than among non-terrorists from the same background
No one wakes up one morning and decides that today is the day to become a terrorist. The trajectory by which normal people become capable of doing terrible things is usually gradual, perhaps imperceptible to the individual
In too-simple terms, terrorists kill for the same reasons that groups have killed other groups for centuries. They kill for cause and comrades, that is, with a combination of ideology and intense small-group dynamics. The cause that is worth killing for and even dying for is personal, a view of the world that makes sense of life and death and links the individual to some form of immortality
As far as we know, most terrorists feel that they are doing nothing wrong when they kill and injure people, or damage property. Most seem to share a feature of a psychological condition known as anti-social personality disorder or psychopathic personality disorder, which is an absence of empathy for the suffering of others - they don’t feel other people’s pain. However, they do not appear unstable or mentally ill.
Terrorists, particularly political terrorists, may come from upper rather than lower class backgrounds
Terrorists are often the products of overly permissive, wealthy families with whom they were in conflict, had inconsistent mothering, or were isolated from
For surviving victims themselves, and their friends and families, the reaction to their experiences may be post traumatic stressSome people will need professional help. Others will get by with the support of their families and friends.
Psychologists study terrorism with the aim of identifying those who are or may become terrorists, with a view to aiding in prevention, detection or capture. A better understanding of the circumstances that cause a person to become a terrorist may help us prevent it in the future.
Founded in 1996, the Terrorism Research Center, Inc. (TRC) is an independent institute dedicated to the research of terrorism, information warfare and security, critical infrastructure protection, homeland security, and other issues of low-intensity political violence and gray-area phenomena.
General Safety Guidelines:

• Be aware of your surroundings.
• Move or leave if you feel uncomfortable or if something does not seem right.
• Take precautions when traveling. Be aware of conspicuous or unusual behavior. Do not accept packages from strangers. Do not leave luggage unattended. You should promptly report unusual behavior, suspicious or unattended packages, and strange devices to the police or security personnel.
• Learn where emergency exits are located in buildings you frequent. Plan how to get out in the event of an emergency.
• Be prepared to do without services you normally depend on—electricity, telephone, natural gas, gasoline pumps, cash registers, ATMs, and Internet transactions.
• Work with building owners to ensure the following items are located on each floor of the building:

1. Portable, battery-operated radio and extra batteries.
2. Several flashlights and extra batteries.
3. First aid kit and manual.
4. Hard hats and dust masks.
5. Fluorescent tape to rope off dangerous areas.
   
   @-->-
   
   http://www.fema.gov/hazard/terrorism/index.shtm
   http://www.redcross.org/services/disaster/0,1082,0_589_,00.html
   http://www.terrorism.com/
   http://www.guidetopsychology.com/terrorism.htm
   http://www.ssrc.org/sept11/essays/mccauley.htm

http://www.blue-oceans.com/psychology/terror_psych.html#Anchor-Psychopathology-35882