The use of indiscriminate violence against civilians and soft targets causes immense human suffering, sows fear within societies, damages public trust in authorities, and can produce extremist responses. Whether motivated by political, religious, economic, or social grievances, the use of terror by state-aligned and non-state actors poses an elevated threat for societies around the world as it can be perpetuated by both sophisticated international networks and single “lone-wolf” assailants. To prevent terrorism and limit its effects, governments need to adopt an array of solutions from dismantling terrorist networks to addressing the root grievances which fuel terrorist ideology.
