Psychology perspectives on community vengeance as a terrorist motivator: a review

Abstract

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore the concept of vengeance as a terrorist motivator.Design/methodology/approachThe paper takes a community psychological perspective to examine vengeance in a number of forms. First covering “blood vengeance”, it then examines vigilantism and death squads as functional examples of vengeful entities, as well as the morality of vengeance and the impact of propaganda on vengeance as a terrorist motivator. Finally, both group processes and individual factors relating to the promotion and use of vengeance in terrorism are covered.FindingsVengeance can be conceptualised in a number of ways: as a predisposing factor to individual involvement, a factor that contributes to keeping the movement “bound” together (but which can also negatively affect the group’s strategic logic), a factor in the escalation of violent activity through vigilantism, retribution and retaliation which can result in a perpetuation of a cycle of violence, and as a moral mandate that is ideologically rationalised and justified, with perceptions of righteousness and obligation inherent to it.Research limitations/implicationsThe presented research is limited by the scarcely available data.Practical implicationsEfforts should be made to defuse vengeful motivations by tapping into collective identities of communities and incorporating multicultural values.Social implicationsPolicy makers should be wary of scoring populist scores by ridiculing out-group/religious elements as that creates potential for vengeful terror attacks.Originality/valueThe paper offers insights by renewing the neglected perspective of vengeance in terrorism research.