The Aftermath: Societal and Political Responses to Jihadist Terrorism

Terrorist attacks are a means to an end. Terrorists use violence to spread fear and garner attention in order to achieve political or ideological goals. Beyond the direct damage, the societal and political responses of different audiences largely determine the impact of an attack. How different audiences respond to terrorism remains understudied, which hampers our ability to understand the extent to which terrorism can be considered (un)successful.

This book provides an in-depth examination of responses to jihadist terrorism in four countries: Belgium, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom. Introducing one of the most comprehensive qualitative datasets on the topic, Jeanine de Roy van Zuijdewijn explores the patterns of responses, raises questions about the efficacy of terrorism as a violent communication strategy, and formulates concrete recommendations for policymakers and professionals working to increase resilience and limit the impact of terrorism on societies. She shows how some responses from authorities and citizens were well-choreographed, with solidarity and unity leading the charge, while other attacks revealed deep polarization and division. Ultimately, the book zooms in on the process of meaning-making: how authorities and citizens attempted to place the attacks in a larger interpretive framework by way of using frames, rituals, and symbols directly after and around the first anniversary of the attacks.

Combining insights and concepts from various academic disciplines with an empirically driven approach, this book offers an in-depth look at the impact of terrorist attacks to understand how societies are dealing with one of the most pressing security threats of today.

Jeanine de Roy van Zuijdewijn is an Assistant Professor at the Institute of Security and Global Affairs at Leiden University. Her research interests focus on the impact of terrorism, jihadist terrorism, foreign fighters, and lone-actor terrorism. She aims to make academic knowledge relevant to wider audiences, ranging from the general public to policymakers and politicians.