title: A proposed universal medical and public health definition of terrorism.
abstract: The lack of a universally applicable definition of terrorism has confounded the understanding of terrorism since the term was first coined in 18th Century France. Although a myriad of definitions of terrorism have been advanced over the years, virtually all of these definitions have been crisis-centered, frequently reflecting the political perspectives of those who seek to define it. In this article, we deconstruct these previously used definitions of terrorism in order to reconstruct a definition of terrorism that is consequence-centered, medically relevant, and universally harmonized. A universal medical and public health definition of terrorism will facilitate clinical and scientific research, education, and communication about terrorism-related events or disasters. We propose the following universal medical and public definition of terrorism: The intentional use of violence--real or threatened--against one or more non-combatants and/or those services essential for or protective of their health, resulting in adverse health effects in those immediately affected and their community, ranging from a loss of well-being or security to injury, illness, or death.
authors.affiliation: Yale New Haven Center for Emergency and Terrorism Preparedness, 1 Church Street, 5th floor, New Haven, CT 06510, USA. arnoldmdcs@cs.com
authors.forename: Jeffrey L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Arnold
authors.forename: Per
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ortenwall
authors.forename: Marvin L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Birnbaum
authors.forename: Knut Ole
authors.initials: KO
authors.lastname: Sundnes
authors.forename: Anil
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Aggrawal
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Anantharaman
authors.forename: Abdul Wahab
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Al Musleh
authors.forename: Yasufumi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Asai
authors.forename: Frederick M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Burkle
authors.forename: Jae Myung
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.forename: Felipe
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cruz-Vega
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Debacker
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Della Corte
authors.forename: Herman
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Delooz
authors.forename: Garth
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Dickinson
authors.forename: Timothy
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hodgetts
authors.forename: C James
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Holliman
authors.forename: Campbell
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: MacFarlane
authors.forename: Ulkumen
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Rodoplu
authors.forename: Edita
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Stok
authors.forename: Ming-Che
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Tsai
mesh_terms: D003419:Crisis Intervention; D004189:Disaster Planning; D004632:Emergency Medical Services; D014943:Global Health; D017408:Guidelines as Topic; D006801:Humans; D020380:Needs Assessment; D011634:Public Health; D013315:Stress, Psychological; D023481:Terrorism / Q000145:classification*; D014481:United States; D014754:Violence