[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"doc-detail-46141-en":3,"doc-seo-46141-105":28,"detail-sidebar-cat-0-en-105":89},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":6},0,"success",{"doc_id":7,"user_id":8,"nickname":9,"user_avatar":10,"doc_module":4,"category_id":11,"category_name":12,"doc_title":13,"doc_description":14,"doc_content":15,"file_id":16,"file_url":17,"file_type":18,"file_size":19,"view_count":4,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":20,"is_downloadable":20,"audit_status":20,"page_count":11,"language":21,"language_code":22,"site_id":23,"html_lang":22,"table_of_contents":24,"faqs":25,"seo_title":13,"seo_description":14,"update_tm":26,"read_time":27},46141,1374391974468,"Eden","https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/davatar_29158cc5080c5b710cf443261637dec0",8,"Research & Report","Suicide Bombers: Are Psychological Profiles Possible?","Research on the characteristics of suicide bombers is reviewed, challenging two widely repeated claims: that suicide bombers lack the risk factors associated with suicidal behavior and that psychological profiling is not feasible. The article argues that both assertions are premature and likely incorrect. It explains that identifying risk factors and building profiles require extensive biographies, such as those used in profiling serial killers, yet such detailed data have not been collected for suicide bombers so far.","# Suicide Bombers:Are Psychological Profiles Possible?\n\nArticle in Studies in Conflict and Terrorism·July 2004  \nDOI:10.1080/10576100490461033  \nCITATIONS  \n94  \n3 authors,including:  \nDavid Lester  \nStockton University  \n3,149 PUBLICATIONS 31,274 CITATIONS  \nSEE PROFILE  \nSome of the authors of this publication are also working on these related projects:  \ncomparative psychology View project  \nREADS  \n492  \nBijou Yang Lester  \nDrexel University  \n192 PUBLICATIONS 1,711 CITATIONS  \nSEE PROFILE  \nMalaysia Project-Protective &Risk Factors of Suicide in Malaysia with special focus on undergraduates students in multi-racial and multi-religious Malaysia(lslam,Christianity,Buddhism/Daoism,HInduism)View project  \nStudies in Conflict &Terrorism,27:283-295,2004Copyright Taylor&Francis Inc.ISSN:1057-610X prin/1521-0731 onlineDOI:10.1080/10576100490461033  \nTaylor &Francis  \ntyobwaCe  \nSuicide Bombers:Are Psychological Profiles Possible?  \nDAVID LESTER  \nCenter for the Study of Suicide  \nBlackwood,New Jersey,USA  \nBIJOU YANG  \nDrexel University  \nPhiladelphia,Pennsylvania,USA  \nMARK LINDSAY  \nBaltimore,Maryland,USA  \nResearch on the characteristics of suicide bombers is reviewed.Contrary to previ-ous commentary,it is suggested thal suicide bombers may share personaliry traits(such as the \"authoritarian personality\")that psychological profiles of suicide bombersmight be feasible,and that the suicide bombers may be characterized by the riskfactors that increase ihe probabilitry of suicide.  \nTwo assertions are common in essays on suicide bombers.The first is that suicide bombersdo not appear to be characterized by the risk factors that predict suicidal behavior (e.g.Israeli,1997).The second is that psychological profiles of suicide bombers are not pos-sible(Meran,1990).This essay will argue that both assertions are certainly prematureand probably incorrect.  \nBoth of these tasks(identifying suicide risk factors and constructing psychologicaprofiles)require extensive biographies of the individuals involved.To take an analogoussituation,profilers of serial killers usually have detailed biographies available for analy-sis,such as that of Dennis Nilsen who murdered 15 people in England before he wascaptured in 1983(Masters,1991).For suicides,a detailed case history or informationabout the individual's life is necessary.For example,a recent analysis of a female suicidewas based on a 200-page diary that she wrote during the last year of her life (Lester,  \n2004),complemented by a brief outline of her life provided by her sister.Such datahave not been collected for any suicide bomber as yet.  \nFailing this,it is necessary to conduct a psychological autopsy(Weisman and Kasten-baum,1968).A psychological autopsy involves reconstructing the life of the suicidefrom birth on,with a particular focus on recent events,stressors,mood,statements,andbehaviors,by means of interviews with all of the significant others,friends,and col-leagues in the suicide's life.This can be guided by a structured interview protocol (Clarkand Horton-Deutsch,1992).Again,a psychological autopsy has not yet been publishedon any suicide bomber.  \nIn order to show that suicide bombers may possess suicide risk factors and thatpsychological profiles may be possible,this essay will draw on cases that are not suicidebombers,but which resemble them,and on evidence that is incomplete,in order to suggestthat the assertions made by others and noted earlier are premature and may be incorrect.  \nFirst,the available commentary on suicide bombers will be reviewed in order toexamine what data and speculation presently exists.  \n# Previous Studies Of Suicide Bombers\n\nMurder followed by suicide is not rare (West,1966),but the motive in Westerm nationsis usually interpersonal between the victim(s)and the murderer.A husband may murderhis wife (or ex-wife)before committing suicide,or a mother may murder her childrenbefore killing herself.It is rarely politically motivated.  \nPolitically motivated ki","cbCaiiEcl9Kp15jL","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaiiEcl9Kp15jL","pdf",2557505,1,"English","en",105,"# Previous Studies Of Suicide Bombers\n## Sociodemographic Characteristics","[{\"question\":\"What two common assertions does the article challenge about suicide bombers?\",\"answer\":\"It challenges the claims that suicide bombers do not show risk factors predicting suicidal behavior and that psychological profiles of suicide bombers are not possible.\"},{\"question\":\"Why does the article say psychological profiles are hard to construct for suicide bombers?\",\"answer\":\"It states that both risk-factor identification and profiling require extensive biographies, and detailed case histories or life information have not been collected for any suicide bomber yet.\"},{\"question\":\"What approach does the article suggest could be used to gather needed information?\",\"answer\":\"It describes conducting a psychological autopsy, reconstructing the subject’s life from birth onward using interviews with significant others, guided by a structured protocol.\"}]",1783471407,20,{"code":4,"msg":29,"data":30},"ok",{"site_id":23,"language":22,"slug":31,"title":13,"keywords":32,"description":14,"schema_data":33,"social_meta":84,"head_meta":86,"extra_data":88,"updated_unix":26},"suicide-bombers-are-psychological-profiles-possible","",{"@graph":34,"@context":83},[35,52,66],{"@type":36,"itemListElement":37},"BreadcrumbList",[38,42,46,49],{"item":39,"name":40,"@type":41,"position":20},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",{"item":43,"name":44,"@type":41,"position":45},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/","Document",2,{"item":47,"name":12,"@type":41,"position":48},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/research-report/",3,{"item":50,"name":13,"@type":41,"position":51},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/suicide-bombers-are-psychological-profiles-possible/46141/",4,{"url":50,"name":13,"@type":53,"author":54,"headline":13,"publisher":56,"fileFormat":59,"inLanguage":22,"description":14,"dateModified":60,"datePublished":60,"encodingFormat":59,"isAccessibleForFree":61,"interactionStatistic":62},"DigitalDocument",{"name":9,"@type":55},"Person",{"url":39,"name":57,"@type":58},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-07-08",true,{"@type":63,"interactionType":64,"userInteractionCount":4},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":65},"ViewAction",{"@type":67,"mainEntity":68},"FAQPage",[69,75,79],{"name":70,"@type":71,"acceptedAnswer":72},"What 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