THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN LEVEL OF EDUCATION AND TERRORISM

Kosara Stevanović

Abstract

This paper explores the relationship between level of education and possibility of involment in terrorism and tries to answer the question if there is a direct corelation between these two variables. Despite the public opinion that terrorists are uneducated, numerous empirical research show exactly the opposite – that they are on average educated members of middle class. In this paper we firstly address those research that exposed high level of education of terrorists and then we are exploring theoretical explanations of those research results. After this overview, we are using rational choice theory and general strain theory to explain our thesis that there is no direct corelation between level of education and possibility of becoming a terrorist. Instead, we believe that this corelation is mediated by social and economic situation in states which are affected by terrorism. At the end of the article, instead of conclusion we are offering some recommendations that can be implemented in the education systems, and which can hopefully prevent radicalization and terrorism.

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