The Phenomenon of Terrorism: Criminological and Forensic Nature, History, Concept

The article reveals a set of theoretical and practical problems that are characteristic of terrorist activity-one of the systemic threats of modern civilization. The range of the problems affects the methodological, historical, criminological, forensic, cultural, and psychological aspects. The subject matter of the research is a complex of system-forming elements of the phenomenon of terrorism as a unique form of criminal ideology. The following methods were used in the study: analysis, synthesis, a system-structural method, as well as a group of special methods of biographical analysis, statistical analysis, comparative historical analysis, and expert assessment method. As a result of the study, the following conclusions were obtained. Terrorism is a system of ideological views on the appropriateness of applying measures of horror and intimidation to solve political goals. In the process of establishing the ideology of terrorism, the following forms of terrorist perception appeared: (1) state internal terrorism, the ideology of state terrorism aimed at its own population; (2) state external terrorism, the ideology of state terrorism aimed at the population of controlled colonies and occupied territories; (3) state political (revolutionary) terrorism, the ideology of state terrorism aimed at the state structures of another state; (4) national (national liberation) terrorism, the ideology of terrorism of society as a whole, or a significant part of it, aimed at countering the colonialists and occupiers. State political (revolutionary) terrorism is a form of terrorism characteristic of our time. Consequently, terrorism should be understood as a phenomenon characterized by the following elements: the countercultural ideology of a systematic escalation of fear; the commission of criminal acts in the form of violence or the threat of their commission; the commission of criminal acts against victims who are not intentionally selected on an individual basis; the activities carried out by subnational groups or secret agents of third states; the ultimate goal of discrediting the authorities, aimed at intimidating citizens; the form of a political struggle between states in an asymmetric conflict. The result of the study is the conclusion that, for extremist activity, the system-forming element is a motive aimed at hatred of a certain group of people, and, for terrorism, the system-forming element is a motive aimed at the direct destruction of the state.

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