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Everything evolves, people, animals, and even the art of war. There was once a time when an enemy could be identified by the color of his clothing. There was once a time when men would line up, row upon row, firing across an invisible dividing line until one side retreated or the other was left with the most men standing. Now, clothing and other physical attributes are of no help in identifying an enemy and threats are no longer confined by gender or age.
At one time, war was purely physical, involving the use of bayonets, cannons, guns, and all other weaponry designed to damage the body. Increasingly, psychological tactics have become ingrained in every aspect of war and focus upon damaging or changing the mind. By its very nature, terrorism involves psychology because it relies upon the production of anxiety in those who are being terrorized. It involves the infliction of fear by not knowing when, where, or why particular people or places will be targeted.
But, terrorists are also using a new weapon in their psychological warfare arsenal, children. Children in terrorist countries are being used to perpetuate a hatred for Americans. One method being used to disseminate this message to young people is the media. An example involves the use of a mouse-like character that speaks against Israel and the United States. In 2007, child-targeted propaganda involved a sing-a-long that encouraged a young girl to follow in the footsteps of her mother, a suicide bomber who killed soldiers. We can only imagine how many other examples are out there of which we have not yet become aware.
Whether it is intentional or not, social learning theory is being used to create future generations of terrorists. Based on this theory, behavior can be influenced by the reciprocal interaction between environmental, personal, and behavioral factors. This theory states that individuals can learn through the performance of their own actions, and by witnessing the actions of others. The core concepts of this theory include observational learning, reinforcement, behavioral capability, self-efficacy, and expectations (Stone, 1998).
The use of media primarily relies upon observational learning and reinforcement. Children can identify with the cartoon-like character and the young girl in the sing-a-long. By watching the behaviors and reactions of these media images, and their family members' reaction to them, the conduct is reinforced. While dying as a result of one's actions may seem like it would
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