Understanding Terrorism: A New Perspective through Group Cohesion

Terrorism is a paradoxical phenomenon: Despite its status as a critical global security threat, its strategic effectiveness often proves counterproductive, failing to achieve its core agendas. Therefore, why does terrorism persist as a global threat despite its frequent failure to achieve political or ideological goals? This article argues that the answer lies not in simple political or strategic models, but in the complex, reciprocal relationship between individual psychology and organisational factors. This article introduces a new theoretical framework, the Group Cohesion Model, to analyse this dynamic. This multi-dimensional framework is applied to three of the most dangerous and violent extremist Islamic terror organisations – ISIS, Al-Qaeda and Al-Shabaab – using media interviews and testimony reports from current and former members. A comparative analysis between these organisations reveals that the choice to use terrorism is not just a strategic or rational decision. Instead, the model shows it is a complex process of interplay between individual drivers and organisational elements that transform terrorism into a seemingly legitimate action. By presenting these nuanced insights, this new framework sheds light on why these organisations persist and offers ways to develop more effective, multi-dimensional counterterrorism policies.