Lone Wolf Terrorism as Category: Learning from the Breivik Case

Abstract

The present article aims to provide a short overview of my research on the radicalization process of the Norwegian terrorist, Anders Behring Breivik. Its main purpose, based on the principles of transformative learning theory, is to explore the life experiences that drove him to the point to deploy violent means. The attacks on July 22nd, 2011 sent shock waves to democratic societies, since, contrary to what expected shortly after the lethal events, it was a single perpetrator, and not an organized terrorist group, who meticulously prepared and executed the plan. As a result, this type of threat, the so-called lone wolf terrorism, forced several governments to reassess their security strategies. 

In the following parts, I look at the life experiences and events that appear to play decisive a role in his transformation into a terrorist, as presented, in the manifesto, by Breivik. What distinguishes in his analysis is the notion that Islam poses a significant threat to Europe and its people and, if not tackled immediately, future generations run the risk of becoming slaves within their countries.

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