THE SOCIOECONOMIC CHANGES THAT HAVE ALTERED THE ROLE OPPORTUNITIES OF WOMEN IN ADVANCED INDUSTRIAL SOCIETIES ARE IMPORTANT FOR UNDERSTANDING WOMEN'S INVOLVEMENT IN TERRORISM, BECAUSE THESE CHANGES INCREASE THE PROBABILITY OF THEIR EXPOSURE TO THE RADICAL IDEAS AND EXPERIENCES NECESSARY TO THE PROCESS OF BECOMING A TERRORIST. THE POSSIBILITY OF FEMALES JOINING A TERRORIST MOVEMENT INCREAES SUBSTANTIALLY AS THE MIDDLE CLASS-BASED OR UNIVERSITY-DERIVED OCCUPATINS BECOME MORE AVAILABLE TO WOMEN. THE ASSERTIVENESS AND MORE GENERAL ROLE OF WOMEN IN TERRORISM HAVE OPPOSING EXPLANATIONS. THE THEORY OF A DISTINCTIVE, SEXUALLY BASED ORIENTATION MOTIVATING WOMEN TERRORISTS (OVERCOMPENSATION FOR IMAGES OF WEAKNESS, PASIVITY, AND LOW SELF-WORTH) SEEMS FORCED BY THE DISPOSITION TO GIVE SPECIAL INTERPRETAION OF FEMALE BEHAVIOR THAT VIOLATES TYPICALLY FEMALE ROLE IMAGES. NEITHER IS THERE EVIDENCE THAT FEMALE TERRORISTS HAVE A PARTICULARLY ABNORMAL PSYCHOPATHOLOGY. IT SEEMS MORE PLAUSIBLE THAT BOTH FEMALE AND MALE TERRORIST TEND TO CONFUSE REVOLUTIONARY SYMBOLS AND REALITY. EXTREME ANGER DIRECTED TOWARD EXISTING SOCIOECONOMIC AND POLITICAL STRUCTURES AND AN OBSESSIVE COMMITMENT TO AN IDEOLOGY BELIEVED TO OFFER THE DESIRED CHANGE, ATTENDED BY A MISCONCEPTION THAT BOLD ACTS OF INTIMIDATION AND VIOLENCE WILL OF THEMSELVES UNDERMINE THE EXISTING STRUCTURES, APPARENTLY FORM THE FOUNDATIONAL PERSPECTIVES OF BOTH MALE AND FEMALE TERRORISTS. FIVE REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. FOR RELATED DOCUMENTS, SEE NCJ 70361 ABD 70363-77.