Who becomes a terrorist, and why?

Who, becomes a terrorist? What kind of people join a terrorist organisation? Hmmm…. The fact that people think differently and are allowed to express their opinions is good -- it is an important part of a democracy. Anyone can get ideas on how a society should be governed, perhaps ideas that are different from most people’s.

You may want to transform society completely and make large social changes. This is known as having radical ideas. Radical ideas can sometimes have a positive impact on a society, but they can also lead to negative developments. Many people have radical ideas, but only a few believe that their ideas are so important that they must use threats, and violence, to get their will through. When you start to think this way, it is usually called being radicalized.

Sometimes people are radicalized only after joining a terrorist organization. Peer pressure makes it more difficult to reflect on their own actions. Some become addicted to the violence and like to perform violent acts. But it can also be the violence itself that attracts... Some terrorists have a violent criminal background before being recruited.

Some also join terrorist groups for financial reasons. There are various reasons why people apply for - or are recruited by terrorist organizations. Both radicalization and recruitment often take place via the internet and social media where terror groups create a sense of a Us and Them. They create a sense of fear where traditions and values ​​ are alleged to be under threat, and need to be defended. The idea of defending something, makes it easier for terrorists to think they are doing the right thing when they commit acts of terror.

Many Islamist groups believe that Islamic values ​​are threatened by Western values Whereas many right-wing nationalists believe that Western values ​​ are threatened by Muslims, and Islamization is underway. Both views are similar. Each side feels that their own culture is being threatened. But of all the people who believe in any religion or are politically engaged, only a few join a terrorist organization. What unites many terrorists is a strong sense of injustice; they believe society is developing in unhealthy ways, that do not align with their own, moral, political or religious view.

And, that it cannot be stopped in any other way than with threats and violence. For many terrorists, it is the draw of community and a sense of purpose that attracts them - rather than political and religious ideas. Group affiliation and identity are the most significant pull factors. Terrorist organizations often turn to people who feel they do not have much to lose, who feel left out of society, that they are excluded. This is called the Exclusionary Perspective.

So... Who becomes a terrorist? Research indicates that the vast majority of people who are radicalized are young. Both women and men become radicalized, but men are in the majority when it comes to carrying out acts of violence. This has always been the case.

Those who support or lead terrorist organizations may be older, but they rarely commit acts of violence themselves. Besides the vast majority of terrorists being young men, it is difficult to create a clear picture of how a terrorist looks. They may be poor or rich. There are some who are well educated, and some with little education. Unemployment is often a common factor.

There are many interconnected causes and motivations. So, what drives young people to terrorist organizations - and who becomes a terrorist ... ...is a difficult and complex question to answer.