Journal for Deradicalization
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When Counterterrorism Enters the Curriculum: How the Global War on Terror Risks Impairing Good Education
Get PDFThis article outlines and critically discusses the securitisation of the counter-radicalisation efforts in Norwegian schools. More specifically, it explores perceptions offered by educators and youth social workers through interviews with 23 practitioners on the topic of preventing youth extremism. Through the narratives of these practitioners, the paper reveals a belief that education can contribute to counter-radicalisation efforts, by focusing on relational pedagogy, social interaction and the safeguarding of vulnerable youth. Nevertheless, the article outlines a concerning discursive practice, in which young Muslims are frequently framed as vulnerable to being radicalised towards violent extremism. There is, however, evidence of both hegemony and resistance regarding the framing of Islam as a security threat, as many practitioners state that the stigmatising and polarising portrayal of Muslim youth in politics and the media can affect progressive, liberal and inclusive education. Finally, it is suggested that practitioners remain relatively unaware of how the assumption driven radicalisation discourse extends from the Global War on Terror, which is widely criticised for its informal criminalisation of Islam
The Promotion of Secularization as a Counterterrorism Strategy to Religious Terrorism: A Case Study of Iraq
Get PDFThe increasing importance of establishing an Islamic state (a Caliphate) among religious terrorist groups has drawn the attention of academics and policymakers towards the benefits and pitfalls of the promotion of secularization as a counterterrorism strategy. Based on the historical experiences of secularization and religionization in Iraq and its societal structures, combined with a literature review of recent developments in the region, this article discusses to what extent and how secularization may promote and/or frustrate religious terrorism in present day Iraq. It concludes that, apart from some radical elements, there seems to be ideological and political space in Iraq to consider taking a direction to a more secular system. This could reduce political tensions and subsequently frustrate religious terrorism. Implementing it in a proper model in which major religious groups feel equally represented, however, may prove to be very challenging
Clarifying the Explanatory Context for Developing Theories of Radicalization: Five Basic Considerations
Get PDFWe know a great deal more about the process of radicalization leading to violence than when the term entered the popular lexicon a few years after 9/11. Yet fundamentally, it remains difficult to specify who will turn to political violence, how, or why. Progress on this key issue depends on many developments. This article reviews and analyses five basic meta-methodological insights, on which there is growing consensus, which set the parameters for the ongoing study and modeling of radicalization: (1) the specificity problem; (2) the shift from profiles to process; (3) the necessity of a multi-factorial approach; (4) the heterogeneity problem; and (5) the primary data problem. The objective is to create a stronger understanding of the nature and collective relevance of these accepted insights, and point to two related emergent issues on which more systematic research still needs to be done in the context of combatting terrorism: the relationship of attitudes and behavior, and the problem of accounts (i.e., the critical and contextual study of how people justify or excuse socially undesirable or problematic behavior and occurrences)
Motivational Interviewing for Deradicalization: Increasing the Readiness to Change
Get PDFThis article focuses on direct practice for deradicalization programming. Considering the progression of research to practice, there is a lack of recommendations from existing deradicalization research to inform those engaged in actual service delivery with extremists. Those engaged in one-to-one efforts or group modalities need strategies and techniques to better structure and standardize their efforts. This article suggests motivational interviewing (MI) as one evidence-based practice and well-researched approach that could be applied for countering violent extremism (CVE) work. Motivational interviewing is an approach that is particularly useful when the goal is observable behavior change. It is favored for those who are ambivalent to change as well those who are more resistant, angry or reluctant to change. This article will describe how motivational interviewing appears to be a natural fit for deradicalization and disengagement programs (DDPs) by reviewing eight benefits to this approach. The helpfulness of motivational interviewing is realized as many DDP staff are not trained in methods to increase motivation nor do they have a working knowledge of the process of human behavior change. A point of confluence is made that regardless of the challenging population one works with, whether they are offenders from the criminology field or radicalized terrorists in the deradicalization field, the mechanics that propel behavior change remain the same
Program Insight: The screening process of disengaged Boko Haram associates in Niger
Get PDFIn an attempt to facilitate transition from conflict to peace, Disengagement, Disassociation, Reintegration and Reconciliation (DDRR) initiatives are key in fostering national dialogue and reconciliation. While much literature exists on the disengagement component of the process, very few scholars have documented in detail the screening phase and its challenges. Indeed, the screening phase is critical to ensure the success of a DDRR program, especially in contexts dominated by non-state armed groups (NSAGs). This publication examines how the Government of Niger (GoN) implements the screening process for disengaged combatants associated with Boko Haram and ISIS-West Africa (BH/ISIS-WA). Thanks to the screening process, this article also explores the linkages between BH/ISIS-WA surrenders and judicial actors, as an opportunity to collect information on arrested associates in an environment with weak state presence characterized by heightened insecurity. The Government of Niger has made progress in the treatment of defectors by updating its legal framework, through the creation of a National Program on disengaged combatants and the set-up of an action plan to seek international support. The GoN is therefore trying to align itself based on respect for the International humanitarian laws and United Nations resolutions, in order to promote the human rights of both BH/ISIS-WA repentants and the communities into which they integrate. Additionally, the GoN strives to integrate lessons learnt from other Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration (DDR) programs dealing with Violent Extremist Organizations (VEOs) across the African continent, in particular the case of Somalia. The overall process is managed by the Ministry of the Interior (MoI) but includes several other governmental agencies as well. In some instances, parts of the DDR implementation chain benefit from the support of international partners. The author of this article was in charge of providing technical assistance to the Government of Niger in developing a national strategy for disengaged persons associated with BH/ISIS-WA. He also assisted state actors to implement program components, such as the screening phase and the legal framework
From Idea to Policy: Scandinavian Municipalities Translating Radicalization
Get PDFRadicalization has emerged as a dominant idea for understanding processes that lead to extremist beliefs and behavior. As societal efforts to counter extremism have become increasingly decentralized, local policymakers are being confronted with the task of making sense of radicalization. Departing from neo-institutional theory, this paper explores how the idea of radicalization has been materialized in 60 Scandinavian (Denmark, Norway and Sweden) municipal policies that share the explicit aim of countering extremism. Most research on how radicalization has been conceptualized in policy focuses on the international and national levels. Instead, this paper provides a first large number analysis of how radicalization has been understood at the local level. A content analysis of the policies highlights the different definitions, explanatory factors and theories, models and checklists utilized. Findings show the considerable variance between municipal translations of radicalization. In some cases, the processual properties usually attributed to radicalization are contested as radicalization is portrayed as a mere outcome. A total of 66 different explanatory factors for radicalization are noticed by the municipalities, transforming most forms of deviant social and cultural statuses, psychological conditions and ideological positions to possible explanatory factors. Although the municipalities to a certain degree utilize the same labels for popular theories, models and checklists, this paper demonstrates that the content varies as they are transferred between contexts. The paper explains how and why such local variance occurs and which institutional elements that constrains translations of radicalization
Between Child Soldiers and Terrorists: Reintegrating Child Members of the Islamic State
Get PDFIn parts of the Republic of Iraq and the Syrian Arab Republic controlled by the Islamic State children were subjected to systematic indoctrination into extremist ideologies, with many of them being actively integrated into the Islamic State to be trained as the next generation of fighters. As Islamic State lost virtually all physical territory to other actors in the region, these children will present a serious long-term threat to security and stability unless successfully reintegrated into functioning communities. When available data on the way the Islamic State recruited, trained and indoctrinated children is examined, it can be seen that these children exhibit characteristics of child soldiers as well as those usually found in members of terrorist organizations. This paper therefore argues that, in order to devise and implement an optimal approach to their reintegration, relevant lessons should be drawn both from child soldier reintegration initiatives as well as from terrorist deradicalization and rehabilitation programs. Those lessons should then be adapted to specific requirements and constraints of this particular case
Evidence-based informed policy design for support groups for families of foreign fighters: Ex ante application of realistic evaluation and review
Get PDFMost programs to prevent and counter violent extremism (CVE) now include support programs for families of violent extremists. However, like many other CVE interventions and programs, the evidence base is still very limited. This article presents a literature review and a multi-method data assessment (including interviews with parents and family members of jihadist foreign fighters, with experts, focus groups with families of foreign fighters and policy makers) regarding the evidence base for family support programs in the CVE field. This fits within a recent trend to develop and apply evaluation to the CVE field. This article differs from other CVE evaluation studies, because it applies realist review and realistic evaluation ex ante rather than ex post. This article demonstrates that such an ex ante approach can contribute to the legitimacy, feasibility and effectiveness of CVE policy and prepare the ground for more thorough evaluation research
A former right-wing extremist in school-based prevention work: Research findings from Germany
Get PDFThis paper summarizes the findings of a pioneer process and impact evaluation of a school-based Preventing Violent Extremism (PVE) measure conducted by a former right-wing extremist. The goal of the primary prevention measure was, inter alia, to attain positive effects on extreme right-wing attitudes and delinquent behavior among juveniles. This goal was evaluated using an impact assessment with a post intervention screening after approximately half a year. The sample comprised 564 pupils from 50 school classes, which were randomly assigned to a treatment and a control group. Additionally, we gained further data on the prevention measure using participant observations and by surveying the participating pupils. This is the first empirical study to evaluate a school-based PVE measure conducted by a former in such a manner. The results of the study do not suggest that the prevention measure influenced right-wing extremist attitudes and delinquency. The predominantly positive responses of the pupils suggest that this approach can be a tool to facilitate access to pupils in a period of life where adults have difficulties with accessing juveniles. However, the pupils’ statements also highlight critical aspects, which signify that some contents and their illustration do not seem to be adequate for this target group
Antagonism, Conflictuality and Resilience: A New Model of Societal Radicalisation
Get PDFThis paper proposes that, instead of framing radicalisation as a process undergone by individuals, society’s political sphere as a whole should be be considered as a site of radicalisation: a social setting built on discourses which can themselves be characterised by their level(s) of ‘radicalism’. The radicalisation of individuals’ patterns of discursive action needs to be understood in the context of (changing) levels of societal radicalisation. Unless they also address this societal context, efforts to counter or forestall the radicalisation of individuals and groups can have only local and temporary success. Any counter-radicalisation intervention conducted purely on the basis of an individualised ‘contagion’ or ‘strain’ model will be unable to envision - let alone address - phenomena of societal radicalisation. Building on the literature on securitization, resilience and agonistic conflict, this paper offers a model of societal radicalisation and of the social and political conditions likely to foster this process. Societal radicalisation is seen in terms of the corrosion of agonistic politics and its replacement by antagonism; this is related to deficits in societal qualities of conflictuality and resilience, which are discussed. The radicalising drift from agonism to antagonism, when promoted at government level, is further related to the literature on securitisation. Lastly, one possible mechanism for societal radicalisation - ‘antagonistic amplification’ - is identified and directions for further work are suggested