Some psychological considerations about terrorism

   A discussion concerning the terrorism phenomenon should always start by mentioning that these manifestations are categorized as being of violent nature and are originated from the instinct of conservation. People and animals use their aggressive behavior to survive in hostile regions, to satisfy a diversity of needs or to satisfy the need of domination and conquest. The aggressive act brakes out on the bases of a tensioned bio-psychic front, rummaged by pent and frustration and is aiming towards destruction of objects or people, the degradation of structures and altering some human relations.
   In fazes and different intensities, aggression is in all of us. It beholds latency forms or direct expressed manifestations, through explicit acts of violence, or masked by reflex. We’ve already remarked the fact that violence is a particular form of aggression and according to the World Organization of Health the acts of violent are divided in two categories:
   a. private violence
   b. collective violence
   At the second category, on the first place terrorism sits. The phenomenon now as terrorism isn’t a new one, it is rather complex, and its historical, economical and social causes are many and lead to numerous studies and researches. Unfortunately in most of the countries there were terrorist attacks and almost on every continent. Motivation and context is different, but what it’s common to these attacks are the psychological aspects.
   No matter the religious, political or other nature appearance, terrorists have the same scorn for people’s lives, same profound anti-social and anti-human attitude and fanaticism with which the want to completely destroy the ones who are considered enemies. The drafting and instruction of these people is consisted in mental manipulation and of ideological indoctrination in the human psychic, having irreversible effects. On the other hand, another aspect of psychological order is the impact and reaction which the coordinators of the attempts will get from the population part, civil society, of large masses in all countries. The terror attempts imply fear, but mostly a state of doubt, of desperation and emotional shock. Those who hear about these events have the sensation that they are watched by an invisible enemy who can attack anytime and in unforeseeable forms.
The following reaction is to ask the authorities and political circles to make any compromise so this danger would end. So in this way there are started public disputes, manifestations that disturb society. All of these accentuate the state of insecurity to which a mediate blackmail is added to which the state answerable should be in charge.
   Another aspect on which terrorists base on is the unprecedented and shocking character of the strike. In this case there is always the fact of subculture but most surely it is also about knowing the irrational means of life instincts. The ones who act like live bombs are fanatics who think the only option of living is preparing for death.
   The decision and the appearance with which these people plan and act to kill with the price of their own life have a psychological impact on those close to them and on the population they were included. To these reactions there are added the economical conditions which are precarious and which leads to the proliferation of terrorist acts which are bloodier and harder to counteract.
   In the last decay of the 20th century there has been born a new direction of investigation of psychology, name “Psychology of peace”. The mission of this discipline is to develop ways of prevention of the destructive conflict, of violence and palliation of the consequences; building the peace culture in the global communities.
   Let us hope that the inhabitants of this beautiful planet will find the most efficient ways to attenuate the phenomenon of terrorism, for the reduction of any discrepancy and displeasure that could lead to violent acts. Supporting this process, O.N.U. has enforced the period 2001 – 2010 to be “The international decay for the culture of peace and non-violence”.