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Zanaea Harris
CJ 310
October 29, 2022
1-2 Module One Journal: Defining Terrorism
The FBI definition of terrorism is "the unlawful use of force or violence against persons
or property to intimidate or coerce a Government, the civilian population, or any segment
thereof, in furtherance of political or social objectives". The United Kingdom's Terrorism Act
2000 defines terrorism as an act "designed seriously to interfere with or seriously to disrupt an
electronic system" ("Various Definitions of Terrorism", n.d.). Some of the differences between
these definitions are that the FBI says terrorism is the unlawful use of force or violence against
people and property, whereas The United Kingdom's Terrorism Act says terrorism is an act to
interfere with or disrupt an electronic system. I think the FBI's definition of terrorism is the
better version of the two. The FBI's definition fully illustrates terrorism, enabling anyone to
grasp what it is.
I think the problem with have different definitions of terrorism is that people from
around the world won't fully get the concept of what terrorism really is. Having different
definitions of terrorism can impact our ability to identify terrorists because it would be
inconsistent and unpredictable since in different countries, terrorism isn't considered an illegal
activity. If DHS agencies use different definitions of terrorism, I believe it will muddle what one
agency defines terrorism vs another. If there was a unified definition of terrorism, all agencies
and levels of justice could operate from that definition to avoid what some think or do not regard
to be terrorism. I would define terrorism as "illegally intimidating or coercing a civilian
population or government through the use of force or threats in order to advance political, social,
or ideological goals".
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References
Various Definitions of Terrorism. (n.d.). https://dema.az.gov/sites/default/files/Publications/AR- Terrorism%20Definitions-BORUNDA.pdf