Abstract   Although most victims of disasters, terrorism, or other shocking events recover on their own, a sizable amount of these victims develops long-term disaster-related problems. These victims should receive timely and appro-priate psychosocial help. This article describes the development of guidelines on psychosocial interventions during the first 6 weeks after a major incident. Scientific literature, expert opinions, and consensus among relevant parties in the clinical field were used to formulate the recommendations.

In recent years, politicians and other people in positions of authority have received increasingly
stringent security. Taking protective measures and being accompanied by protection officers
can influence the lives of the people being protected. Some form of psychosocial advice and/
or support may therefore be advisable.
The National Coordinator for Counterterrorism (NCTb) commissioned a project team headed
by Prof. B.P.R. Gersons from the AMC in Amsterdam to conduct a descriptive, systematic study

This paper aims to provide an overview of the psychology of individuals who join
and engage in terrorism, and in particular of individuals who engage in jihadimotivated
terrorism such as that carried out by al-Qaeda and its affiliates. Based on
the most reliable available evidence, this paper gives an account of the psychology
and motivations of such individuals and the processes that facilitate and develop
violent radicalization.

This article conceptualizes political radicalization as a dimension of increasing
extremity of beliefs, feelings, and behaviors in support of intergroup conflict and violence.
Across individuals, groups, and mass publics, twelve mechanisms of radicalization
are distinguished. For ten of these mechanisms, radicalization occurs in a
context of group identification and reaction to perceived threat to the ingroup.
The variety and strength of reactive mechanisms point to the need to understand