Analyzing human behaviors in the immediate aftermath of a terrorist bombing

Abstract

In recent years, terrorists and perpetrators of mass violence have increasingly targeted civilians at soft targets and crowded places, such as concert venues and public transportation hubs. A growing body of research looks at the motivation behind attacks and how to prevent them; still, we know relatively little about how people respond during, and in the immediate aftermath of, an attack. This study seeks to build our understanding of human behavioral responses to one such type of attack: bombings. Using a multi-case analysis approach, we investigate human behavioral responses to six high profile bombing attacks to identify patterns in responses. We find that individuals respond to bombs in ways that we can predict, and that the behaviors they choose are a function of how far away they are from the blast and the amount of time that has passed since the explosion occurred. We also identify majority and minority behaviors across space and time and discuss the factors that contribute to these response patterns. These findings bear important implications for soft target security preparedness and contribute to our understanding of terrorist victimization.