Countering radicalization in america united states institute of peace. Special report on internetfacilitated radicalization radicalization is the process of adopting an extremist belief system, including the willingness to use, support, or facilitate violence, as a method to effect societal change. Current theories and models of the radicalization process offer a linear progression or focus heavily on religious behaviors. In this model, we distinguish three phases in radicalization. A communitypolicing approach jean pierre devos, police commissioner, belgian federal police, project manager, community policing for the prevention of radicalization edward j. Radicalization processes in afghanistan combating terrorism. The process view of radicalization may be applicable to other types of violent extremism, but the research does not support the argument for an ideologyblind assessment policy. We specify the microlevel, mesolevel and macrolevel factors in deradicalization. The violent islamic radicalization process is understood differently across disciplines within the homeland security enterprise. The radicalization process deepens in its second phase when an individual seeks religious meaning. Jun 16, 2016 the radicalization process deepens in its second phase when an individual seeks religious meaning. The recent surge in the number of american muslims involved in terrorism has led u.
The united nations compound in normally peaceful mazarisharif, north of kabul, was attacked, and seven foreigners were killed. Social networking before the internet, as described by evan kohlmann in his testimony before congress was, the process of. Its connotation as in the word radish is of being buried. Reconceptualizing the drivers of violent extremism terre des. The radicalization process can take several years for some persons, but develop very quickly for others. Sep 01, 2011 yet other individuals do not seem to make wellconsidered decisions within this process, but follow it like a slippery slope. In particular, the question of whether the internet serves as a primary or secondary role in the radicalization process of homegrown terrorists remains largely unanswered. A framework that examines radicalization using varying levels of analysispersona 1 group. It seems that radicalization is a complex and highly individualized process, often shaped by a poorly understood interaction of structural and personal factors. We describe the microlevel, mesolevel and macrolevel factors that in. Preventing terrorism and countering violent extremism and.
Conceptual models of radicalization into violent extremism. Western style terrorism is the ultimate consequence of the radicalization process. Terrorism, radicalization and deradicalization bertjan. Radicalization to violence is the process by which. Domestic radicalization research yields possible keys to. It is the ideology and the behavioral changes and adaptations required by the salafijihadist belief system that lends a predictable structure to the radicalization process. Radicalization is a process through which people become increasingly motivated to use violent means against members of an outgroup or symbolic targets to achieve behavioral change and political goals. However, many terrorists do report feelings of doubt, persecution, and insecurity.
No single element suffices, in and of itself, to explain the. This is followed by what is called frame alignment, in which individuals connect with the publicfacing agenda of the terrorist group, vizcaino said. The final stage of radicalization is the actual undertaking of a terrorist act. No identifiable terrorist profile or hallmarks of radicalization 8 b. Radicalism, violent extremism and terrorism, sit at the. Highly relevant to the future deradicalization of an in organisation terrorist is the issue of how states might manage the potential return of terrorists who are known to be overseas and whether the best solution is or is not to prevent the terrorist from returning to a homecountry, which is examined within. Radicalization component ufouothe complexity in the radicalization process of becoming a terrorist cannot be captured by a simple, linear explanation. Recognition of the complexity of radicalization process. Mechanisms of individual radicalization personal victimization. A framework that examines radicalization using varying levels of analysispersonal, group, community, sociopolitical, and ideologicalallows for the integration of. At the individual level, the radicalization process often involves embracing a terrorist belief. This process, often referred to as radicalization to terrorism, is the central focus of nijs research and evaluation efforts addressing terrorism. The authors thank david rapoport, christopher boucek, max taylor, and two anony.
Terrorist use of social media should not be surprising to anyone. The groups involved in all these case examples have experienced different intensities of mutual radicalization. The complexity in the radicalization process of becoming a terrorist cannot be captured by a simple, linear explanation. Challenges in assessing the effectiveness of deradicalization programs john horgan and kurt braddock international center for the study of terrorism, pennsylvania state university, university park, pennsylvania, usa renewed interest on how and why terrorism ends has emerged in parallel with. Radicalization is defined as the process of adopting for oneself or inculcating in others a commitment not only to a system of radical beliefs, but also to their imposition on the rest of society. The concepts were derived from analyses though anecdotal. Fbi law enforcement bulletin, borum proposed a fourstage conceptual model for the emergence of a terrorist mindset. We then focus on the idea that although it is possible to distinguish different types of radical groups, these. The results provide insights into the heterogeneity of terrorist involvement and. Surprisingly few studies compare radicalization to terrorism to the joining of organized crime groups or.
The psychology of terrorism and radicalization 3 mission. Pdf after the london bombings in july 2005, the concern of terrorism. Rehabilitating the terrorists challenges in assessing the. Strikingly, the pace of the radicalization process has. The english word radical comes from the latin radis, or root. Radicalization patterns and modes of attack planning and. It analyzes post911 domestic jihadist terrorist activity and describes law enforcement and intelligence efforts to combat terrorism and the challenges associated with those efforts. Many analysts and policymakers consider prison radicalization, the process by which detained or incarcerated individuals. It discusses the radicalization process and the forces driving violent extremist activity. Pdf exploring the theories of radicalization researchgate. Although the most dangerous instances of radicalization have so far been overseas, the islamic radicalization of u. Radicalization of youth as a growing concern for counter. Theradicalizing person forms the central element in our model. The growth and development of terrorist networks is largely a decentralized and evolutionary process, based on contingent adaptations to unpredictable events and improbable opportunities, more the result of localized tinkering of fragmentary connections between semiautonomous parts than intelligent design hierarchical command and control.
Social networking existed long before the advent of facebook, twitter or youtube. Terrorism, radicalization and deradicalization sciencedirect. Jun 14, 2016 why average people decide to become terrorists. Radicalization to violence is a critical subset of the terrorist threat. A behavioral study of the radicalization trajectories of. A read is counted each time someone views a publication summary such as the title, abstract, and list of authors, clicks on a figure, or views or downloads the fulltext. The difference between radicalization and terrorism many theories have been put forth to explain why certain individuals become radicalized to the point where they are willing to commit violence. Fundamentally, the fourstage process begins by framing some unsatisfying event, condition, or grievance its not right as being unjust its not fair. Rather, the radicalization process results from a complex interaction of multiple mechanisms. The outcomes of radicalization are shaped by the ideas of the society at large.
An important factor in radicalization is the presence of a charismatic person who can easily deliver persuasive speeches not only in mosques but also in schools, universities, or even prisons. From a law enforcement perspective, it is critical that our approach to radicalization to violence be rooted in understanding the problem, its causes and its potential outcomes. Smiths pair of papers largely cover the same research projects, but one paper is organized around risk factors and indicators associated with radicalization to terrorism, whereas the other is focused on how that radicalization occurs processes that facilitate the extremists emergence as terrorist as well as models and frameworks that help. Discontent seems to serve as the prerequisite of the radicalization process.
Jun 25, 2018 smiths pair of papers largely cover the same research projects, but one paper is organized around risk factors and indicators associated with radicalization to terrorism, whereas the other is focused on how that radicalization occurs processes that facilitate the extremists emergence as terrorist as well as models and frameworks that help. Psychological process and pathways to radicalization. Why average people decide to become terrorists vox. Radicalization is a process of adopting an extremist system of values combined with expressing approval, support for, or use of violence and intimidation as a method of achieving changes in society or encouraging others to such acts szlachter, 2012. Combating a complex threat congressional research service 1 executive summary this report describes homegrown violent jihadists and the plots and attacks that have occurred since 911.
Using psychology to understand and prevent terrorist. He is the recipient of a 20092010 predoctoral terrorism research award from the national consortium for the study of terrorism and responses to terrorism start. Pdf the future of terrorist deradicalization programs. Or, as social scientists suggest, a perverse idealism. Hidden brain explores the psychology of terrorist groups, and why people join them. This paper will seek to address this core issue and others by examining several key case. And just as there is no grand theory of radicalization and no common terrorist profile, there is no single explana tion for why people deradicalize or disengage from a militant group. Because all terrorists have undergone a radicalization process and hence. The culmination of this process is a terrorist attack. First, it discusses the term radicalization and suggests the use of the following definition of radicalization as a process by which a person adopts belief systems which justify the use of violence to effect social change and comes to actively support as well. Flynn, senior human rights officer, united nations counterter.
In figure 1, we outline a model of radicalization and deradicalization. Terrorisms connection to islam is generally overstated and misunderstood 10 c. A timeline for radicalization was then calculated for the offenders. Terrorism, communication and new media universiteit leiden. Rightwing extremism, religious cults, and gangs have been omitted from serious study of the process of radicalization. Radicalization or radicalisation is a process by which an individual or group comes to adopt increasingly radical political, social, or religious ideals and aspirations that reject or undermine the status quo or contemporary ideas and expressions of the nation. Using psychology to understand and prevent terrorist recruitment. As the result of our case studies, we hypothesize that the development of terrorist networks. Yet other individuals do not seem to make wellconsidered decisions within this process, but follow it like a slippery slope. Islamic radicalization in the united states does not appear to be endemic, but it does exist nationwide. As indicated radicalization earlier, this person follows three phases. To improve our understanding of radicalization to terrorism as it occurs in the united states, nij supports research aimed at answering several questions. Strikingly, the pace of the radicalization process has accelerated in recent years. The difference between radicalization and terrorism.
In april 2011, a series of violent protests erupted in afghanistan that reflected public anger over news of an american preacher burning a quran. In the example of the homegrown threat, local residents or citizens gradually adopt an extremist religiouspolitical ideology hostile to the west, which legitimizes terrorism as a tool to affect societal change. We highlight the importance of the role of group membership and intergroup relations in the radicalization process. The role of education in the prevention of radicalization. The rcmp defines radicalization as the process by which individuals usually young people are introduced to an overtly ideological message and belief system that encourages movement from moderate, mainstream beliefs towards extreme views.
Rehabilitating the terrorists challenges in assessing. Terrorisms connection to islam is generally overstated and misunderstood. Radicalization, a highly debated topic, does not have an established or standard. Dec 15, 2015 the researchers who study terrorist groups suggest that communities can counteract the mindsets that are susceptible to radicalization by teaching students such values as being comfortable with.
An important factor in radicalization is the presence of a charismatic person who can easily deliver persuasive speeches not only in mosques but also in. How radicalization to terrorism occurs in the united states ncjrs. How radicalization to terrorism occurs in the united states. Sciences on the role of internet communication in the radicalization process. However, not all people become increasingly radical. The analysis suggests that specific patterns of radicalization are linked to systematic differences in modes of attack planning and preparation. Theoretical frames on pathways to violent radicalization. Radicalization generally proceeds over the course of several years. Radicalization is a critical subset of the terrorist threat. The process of radicalization leading to violence follows a nonlinear, nonpredetermined path, shaped by multiple factorspersonal and collective, social and psychological. A perspective on the challenges and benefits lindsay clutterbuck phd broadly speaking, the word radicalization can be used to describe a process whereby individuals and even groups develop, over time, a mindset that canunder. Some groups, such as china and japan, are still experiencing a relatively low but increasing inten.