Year: 2002 Source: Westport, CT: Praeger Publishers/Greenwood Publishing Group, 2002. p.193-223 SIEC No: 20040883

This chapter attempts to determine a common mindset for individuals who complete political suicide for one cause or another. The authors explore the sociological context of the suicide bomber & the psychodynamic profile of individuals belonging to paramilitary organizations, political suiciders, & suicide bombers. This study is based on the data derived from individual psychological tests administered to more than 1000 young people aged 6 through 16 collected in Northern Ireland, Israel, the West Bank, Gaza, Lebanon, & South Africa over a 25-year span. Based on these studies, a protocol evolved for the post-mortem studies of Palestinian suicide bombers. (47 refs)