"A must-read for every concerned citizen, this absorbing book goes inside the mind of the psychological terrorist to look at what motivates him to act and to choose the weapon he does. Details the science and psychology of WMPD in relation to chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and explosive weapons, explaining why a terrorist chooses a specific type of a weapon Examines who becomes a WMPD terrorist and why Highlights how and why a suicide bomber is made as well as how, why, and where he will kill to do the most psychological damage Includes case examples drawn from interviews with terrorists at Guantanamo and Abu Ghraib and from analysis of events including the Boston Marathon bombing Lays out prevention strategies that can decrease the likelihood of an attack"--

A must-read for every concerned citizen, this absorbing book goes inside the mind of the psychological terrorist to look at what motivates him to act and to choose the weapon he does. Created by a team of experts in military science and psychology, this timely study is the first comprehensive treatment of the tactical and psychological use of weapons of mass destruction. The book introduces the term "weapons of mass psychological destruction" (WMPD) and draws from examples and case histories to examine the minds of the terrorists who choose these weapons, not for maximum killing, but for maximum psychological harm to the greatest number of people. This groundbreaking work identifies the recruiting practices that create psychological terrorists, revealing how these fanatics are "made," who becomes one, and why. Emerging trends in WMPD tactics and new technology in the field are detailed, as are related ethical issues, psychological reactions to WMPD, and the role religion may play in the choice of weapons. The innovative strategies and policies that can be used to predict, identify, and prevent disasters employing WMPD are outlined as well. Readers will also learn how the media is unknowingly used as a WMPD, and how terrorists employ social media to launch targeted psychological attacks.

A must-read for every concerned citizen, this absorbing book goes inside the mind of the psychological terrorist to look at what motivates him to act and to choose the weapon he does. Created by a team of experts in military science and psychology, this timely study is the first comprehensive treatment of the tactical and psychological use of weapons of mass destruction. The book introduces the term "weapons of mass psychological destruction" (WMPD) and draws from examples and case histories to examine the minds of the terrorists who choose these weapons, not for maximum killing, but for maximum psychological harm to the greatest number of people. This groundbreaking work identifies the recruiting practices that create psychological terrorists, revealing how these fanatics are "made," who becomes one, and why. Emerging trends in WMPD tactics and new technology in the field are detailed, as are related ethical issues, psychological reactions to WMPD, and the role religion may play in the choice of weapons. The innovative strategies and policies that can be used to predict, identify, and prevent disasters employing WMPD are outlined as well. Readers will also learn how the media is unknowingly used as a WMPD, and how terrorists employ social media to launch targeted psychological attacks.

Learn about cyber weapons and how they cause deep psychological harm to society. Everything from simple ransomware to sophisticated bots that can bring down a nation's infrastructure are presented to show how they sow the seeds of discord, change human behavior, create hyper-reality, and disrupt society.

Details the growth, roles, and applications of this new specialty aiming to protect American national and public well-being in the face of increasing and novel threats both inside and outside the United States. In this age of asymmetric warfare, increasing home-grown terrorism, and continuing threats from abroad, a new specialty has emerged and expanded—operational psychology. Operational psychology plays a unique role in supporting issues of national security, national defense, and public safety. In this book, authors Mark A. Staal and Sally C. Harvey, both operational psychologists and retired military colonels, lead a team of experts explaining the field, its many roles, and how it is expanding. Topics include its application in intelligence, counterintelligence, and counterterrorism activities, consultation in high-risk training, criminal investigations including those of internet crimes against children, threat assessment, interrogations, aviation, personnel selection, and leadership development. The text addresses the ethical questions and controversies that surround some of these roles, such as those associated with interrogation techniques. It also describes the role of operational psychologists in activities ranging from assessing and training people for maximum resiliency and hardiness to profiling people and groups of concern in national security investigations.

This open access book brings together a range of contributions that seek to explore the ethical issues arising from the overlap between counter-terrorism, ethics, and technologies. Terrorism and our responses pose some of the most significant ethical challenges to states and people. At the same time, we are becoming increasingly aware of the ethical implications of new and emerging technologies. Whether it is the use of remote weapons like drones as part of counter-terrorism strategies, the application of surveillance technologies to monitor and respond to terrorist activities, or counterintelligence agencies use of machine learning to detect suspicious behavior and hacking computers to gain access to encrypted data, technologies play a significant role in modern counter-terrorism. However, each of these technologies carries with them a range of ethical issues and challenges. How we use these technologies and the policies that govern them have broader impact beyond just the identification and response to terrorist activities. As we are seeing with China, the need to respond to domestic terrorism is one of the justifications for their rollout of the “social credit system.” Counter-terrorism technologies can easily succumb to mission creep, where a technology’s exceptional application becomes normalized and rolled out to society more generally. This collection is not just timely but an important contribution to understand the ethics of counter-terrorism and technology and has far wider implications for societies and nations around the world.

This cutting-edge guide spotlights some of the most exciting emerging discoveries, trends, and research areas in LGBT psychology, both in science and therapy. LGBT Psychology and Mental Health: Emerging Research and Advances brings together concise, substantive reviews of what is new or on the horizon in science and in key areas of clinical practice. It will equip professionals at institutions with mental health programs that deal with lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender issues with information and insight to help psychologists, mental health clinicians, and counselors better serve the LGBT populations that, increasingly, are seeking their services. The book begins with introductory chapters that present an overview of the field, chronicle the relationship between the LGBT community and the field of psychology in past decades, and identify emerging issues covered in the volume. It then addresses subjects such as social psychology and LGBT populations, health disparities and LGBT populations, the evolution of developmental theory related to the LBGT populations, emerging policy issues in LGBT health and psychology, and recent efforts to make the field of psychology more trans-inclusive and affirmative. Chapters are also dedicated to examining contemporary, LGBT-affirmative psychoanalysis and treating addictions and substance abuse in the LGBT community. The book concludes with chapters that address how the concept of intersectionality can serve as a way to better understand LGBT members who possess multiple cultural identities and the unique stressors they experience in daily life. The final chapter summarizes issues that bridge the contributions provided by the authors, and it highlights current issues of focal concern in order to project future directions for the field of LGBT psychology in the next two decades.