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Psychopathology of terrorists

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 September 2017

Armando Piccinni ,
Donatella Marazziti  and
Antonello Veltri
Armando Piccinni*
Affiliation:
Dipartimento di Medicina Clinica e Sperimentale, Section of Psychiatry, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy Fondazione BRF Onlus, Institute for Research in Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Lucca, Italy
Donatella Marazziti
Affiliation:
Dipartimento di Medicina Clinica e Sperimentale, Section of Psychiatry, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy Fondazione BRF Onlus, Institute for Research in Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Lucca, Italy
Antonello Veltri
Affiliation:
Fondazione BRF Onlus, Institute for Research in Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Lucca, Italy Dipartimento della Salute Mentale e Dipendenze, Azienda USL Toscana Nord Ovest, Pisa, Italy
*
*Address for correspondence: Armando Piccinni, Dipartimento di Medicina Clinica e Sperimentale, Section of Psychiatry, University of Pisa, Via Roma, 67, 56100 Pisa, Italy. (Email: armando.piccinni@gmail.com)
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Abstract

Terrorist behavior represents a subtype of human aggression probably determined by a combination of biological, psychological, and social factors, as well as by peculiar environmental influences and group dynamics. As regards terrorists’ psychological characteristics, the available studies (mostly carried out with no sound scientific design) have failed to identify the common or typical pathological personality traits of modern terrorists. The popular opinion that terrorists must be insane or psychopathic is still widespread; however, no evidence exists that terrorist behavior may be caused either by prior or current psychiatric disorders or psychopathy. Not surprisingly, some theories have proposed social factors and non-pathological psychological traits as predisposing elements for terrorist acts, but they generally lack of empirical validation. Moreover, most of these theories do not explain why, even if so many people are exposed to the same social factors or show the same psychological traits, only a tiny minority of them join a terrorist group. Therefore, it is mandatory that systematic and scientific investigations be carried out in order to understand the possible bases for terrorist aggression, including the early detection of possibly associated psychopathology, and to design an appropriate counterterrorism prevention policy.

Keywords

Terrorismmodern terroristspsychopathologypsychiatric disorderspersonality disorders
Type
Review Articles
Information
CNS Spectrums , Volume 23 , Special Issue 2: Evil, psychiatry, and terrorism: understanding the roots of evil , April 2018 , pp. 141 - 144
Copyright
© Cambridge University Press 2017 

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