The mother of Martyn Hett, who was killed in the Manchester Arena bombing, is set to embark on a counter-terrorism course at university.
Figen Murray told the Manchester Evening News that she wants to understand what turns a person into a “monster”.
Hett, a 29-year-old public relations manager, was killed after suicide bomber Salman Abedi detonated a device in the busy foyer of the arena at the end of an Ariana Grande concert in May 2017.
A further 21 people were killed and hundreds more were injured.
“I am literally just a mum who wants to stop other mothers and other families from going through what we have to go through”
Murray, 58, left her job as a psychotherapist following her son’s death and has since toured schools and colleges talking to young people about the power of peace.
The mother-of-five will start the year-long postgraduate course at the University of Central Lancashire in September.
She told the MEN: “I need to understand how someone turns into a monster who goes and blows people up and themselves in the process. What makes them do such horrible things?
“I don’t think it will give me any comfort and in fact it may be very painful, but it will give me a greater understanding of how, as a society, we can improve things.”
She added: “Martyn would laugh at me because he would be so surprised at what I am doing, but I know he would want to do the same if he was still here. I couldn’t tell you why I am not angry, maybe part of me is, but I know getting angry is not going to bring Martyn or any of the others back.
“I am literally just a mum who wants to stop other mothers and other families from going through what we have to go through. I am Martyn’s mum now more than ever.”
She is also campaigning for ‘Martyn’s law’, which would see increased security measures at large public venues, and obligatory bag searches and metal detectors.
A petition to the government has topped 13,000 signatures.