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The following criteria are adapted from the definition given by Bruce Hoffman in Inside Terrorism. In our definitions section we provide the GTD’s more detailed definition, in addition to others such as that of the United Nations.Ī few key distinguishing factors are common to most definitions of terrorism, with minor variations. In our coverage of terrorism, we rely strongly on data from the Global Terrorism Database (GTD), which defines terrorism as “acts of violence by non-state actors, perpetrated against civilian populations, intended to cause fear, in order to achieve a political objective.” 4, 5 Its definition excludes violence initiated by governments (state terrorism) and open combat between opposing armed forces, even if they’re non-state actors. 3 Different definitions emphasise different characteristics, depending on the priorities of the agency involved.

Violent actions are usually categorised according to the perpetrator, the victim, the method, and the purpose. Here, we take a look at standard criteria of what constitutes terrorism, as well as how it might be distinguished from other forms of violence. The lines between these different forms of violence are often blurry. The key problem is that terrorism is difficult to distinguish from other forms of political violence and violent crime, such as state-based armed conflict, non-state conflict, one-sided violence, hate crime, and homicide. Despite considerable discussion, the formation of a comprehensive convention against international terrorism by the United Nations has always been impeded by the lack of consensus on a definition. 1 The issue of subjectivity in this case means that there is no internationally recognised legal definition of terrorism. Terrorism is defined in the Oxford Dictionary as “the unlawful use of violence and intimidation, especially against civilians, in the pursuit of political aims.” We quickly see that this definition is unspecific and subjective. To do this, we need a clear and consistent definition of what terrorism is, and how it’s different from any other form of violence. In our overview of terrorism, we try to understand how the number of terrorist acts varies around the world and how it has changed over time.