IMPACT OF TERRORISM

Effects on Public Opinion

    Abdolian et al. (2002)
        
        Wide Range of Opinions
        Opinions Unchanged from 1993

    Bourne et al. (1996)
        
        Forgiveness-Escalation Pattern
        
        Moderators
            
            Personality
            Gender

    Fiedland & Merari (1985)
        
        Collective Security

    Bar-Tal & Labin (2001)
        
        Reactions toward Out-groups
            
        Complex
            
            Context Dependent
            Sensitive to Ongoing Events

    Conclusion
    
    Public Opinion Is Relativistic and Idiosyncratic
    Public Opinions Harden with Repeated Attacks
    Public Opinion Is Moderated by Perceived Threat
    Reactions Are not Uniform or Permanent

Effects on Psychosocial Adjustment

    PTSD
    
        Experiencing or Witnessing Event
        
        Event Involves Death or Injury, or Threat of Same
        
        Symptoms
            
            Flashbacks
            Hypervigilence
            Avoidance of Associated Stimuli
            Numbing

    Schuster et al. (2001)
        
        44% of Adults Reported ≥ 1 Symptom
        35% of Children Reported ≥ 1 Symptom

    Sprang (1999) and Tucker et al. (2000)
        
        Proximity to Attack
        Degree of Exposure

    Desivilya et al. (1997)
        
        Degree of Exposure
        Direct Physical Injury

    Conclusions
  
        PTSD a Common and Widespread Reaction
    
        Severity and Chronicity Associated with
        
            Proximity to Attack
            Exposure – Injury or Witness to Injury
    
        Moderators

            Constitutional Vulnerability
            History of Stress and Trauma
            Other Current or Derivative Stressors
            Lack of Social Support

DISCUSSION:

21st-century terrorism will be unprecedented
    Death and destruction
    Weapons of mass destruction

Trauma will persist after attack due to
    Cycle of threats and retaliation
    Repeated media images and reports

➢    Will opinion polls show more or less variability toward terrorism?

    o    Will severe and chronic PTSD due to high proximity and exposure soften or harden public opinion?

➢    Will civilians be more or less intimidated?

    o    Will civilians be more or less committed to fight terrorism based on collective threat and identification with victims?