ABSTRACT
Introduction Psychologists have long attempted to understand the impact of terrorism both on individuals and on communities and this search has intensified since the events of 9/11 in 2001. Nevertheless there is a lack of good research into fully understanding causes and consequences, which have provided the opportunity for myths, prejudice and propaganda to dominate ‘public and political discourse on terrorism’ (Silke, 2001). While terrorism has been around for a long time surprisingly little is known about the psychological mechanisms involved in terrorist activity, hindering efforts to rehabilitate such individuals, or develop appropriate preventive actions and policies.
