The identity of the jihadist and the psychosocial mechanisms of adhesion to the terrorist cause

The elaboration of effective strategies to fight terrorism, such as the Islamist one, must be based on a careful analysis of the phenomenon and of the main actor, the jihadist. Scientific research has given discordant and not fully favorable results towards the acceptance of the hypothesis of a psychopathological component as a cause of radicalization. Rather, the cause must be sought in a multiplicity of factors such as individual, social, political and religious ones. Radicalization, also favored by the wide use of cyberspace by terrorist organizations, therefore plays a role of "resocialization" for all those vulnerable subjects, affected by a deep existential crisis.