Journal for Deradicalization
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Ideological and Behavioural Radicalisation into Terrorism – an Alternative Sequencing
Get PDFIn some schools of thought of radicalisation research there is a tacit assumption that individuals become gradually radicalised in their ideas, attitudes, political preferences and worldview, and then motivated by this subsequently radicalise their actions to commit an act of terrorism. This article supports those who question this linear model and I argue that these two processes, which are here labelled as ideological and behavioural radicalisation, must be differentiated. Drawing on ideas from radicalisation in genocide studies, this article contributes to the social movement theory approaches to terrorism. As such, the article differentiates between ideological and behavioural radicalisation processes and argues that these two types of radicalisation can be sequenced with either first. This article posits that it is possible for individuals to engage in radical actions without having extreme preferences, just as it is equally possible for other individuals to have radical ideologies without acting on them, supporting more social movement theory approaches to radicalisation. The article provides a plausibility probe for this sequencing, demonstrating its empirical utility for participation in genocidal violence
‘Sometimes you just have to try something’ - A critical analysis of Danish state-led initiatives countering online radicalisation
Get PDFThis research paper argues that Danish online radicalisation policies are driven by logics of urgency (the threat is imminent) within a limited realm of discursive possibilities (the threat is securitised) which blur the lines between state and civil society as well as state and private sector interactions. Potential political implications bring into play questions about the democratic values that are perceived as safeguarded by these policies. The Danish case shows that we (as citizens, policy makers and researchers) must engage in further discussions on dynamics between the current threat perception of online radicalisation and policies addressing such a threat. My argument is constructed from a discourse analysis of official documents as of 2016-2017 on countering and preventing violent extremism and an analysis of the political logics driving a state-level conceptualisation of online radicalisation through interviews with government officials. The two-part analysis is theoretically based on Securitisation from the Copenhagen School in combination with Critical Terrorism Studies to create a critically inspired approach that remains within existing structures of Danish politics. This is done to engage with the current political landscape characterised by a securitisation of specific forms of online content associated with the Islamic State as an Other. Online radicalisation is herein constructed as a multidimensional threat towards a societal Self referring to the physical safety of citizens and a value based ‘way of life’. The decentralised structure of the internet allows communication flows that enable radicalisation to be understood as an inter-sectoral threat where multiple elements of the referent object are threatened simultaneously. This threat perception challenges government officials in developing and implementing policies to address the threat of the Other while safeguarding the democratic values of the Danish Self
Supporting disengagement and reintegration: qualitative outcomes from a custody-based counter radicalisation intervention
Get PDFThe rehabilitation and reintegration of radicalised offenders has become an increasing area of concern internationally. This has led to investment in interventions aimed at the de-radicalisation and disengagement of terrorist/radicalised inmates. However, little is known about the delivery, content and outcomes from such formal interventions. This paper fills this gap by providing results from an evaluation of a disengagement program in the Australian state of New South Wales called PRISM. The Proactive Integrated Support Model (PRISM) is an intervention delivered by Corrective Services NSW aimed at prison inmates who have a conviction for terrorism or have been identified as at risk of radicalisation. Data reported here is part of a larger second evaluation of PRISM and draws on interviews with PRISM staff (N=10) and PRISM clients (i.e., inmates and parolees; N=12). The paper examines outcomes from the intervention in relation to the benefits PRISM clients derived from participation and explores different qualitative dimensions of client progress. The responses of PRISM clients are compared against the observations of program staff who work with these individuals. Results provide lessons for how formal interventions can facilitate disengagement and reintegration. Broader lessons for the delivery and evaluation of CVE interventions are identified. Limitations in the study design are also acknowledged
From Total Islam to the Islamic State: Radicalization Leading to Violence Dynamics as a Subject of Reciprocal Affordance Opportunities
Get PDFThis article aims to clarify the role of the Islamic State’s (a.k.a. ISIS) online activities on radicalization. To that effect, all empirical endeavors on the underpinning phenomenon in Vox-Pol’s library were systematically reviewed and assessed. This exhaustive review suggests that Radicalization Leading to Violence (RLV) offers a nuanced conceptualization of the complex, emergent, and non-linear and dynamic phenomenon. Findings of the included studies were recorded, visualized, and clustered, allowing the discussion of possible scenarios, and thus, the inference of a utilitarian model of RLV dynamics based on the conceptual map of the literature. On the basis of connectivity and affordance opportunities (online and offline [beyond the digital realm]), Total Islam (i.e., a totalizing identity marker rather than an indicator of religiosity) is posited to be a critical element of the inferred model. ISIS is argued to use both affordance opportunities in a way that capitalizes on the manifestations of Total Islam to mobilize those embracing this form identity across different RLV trajectories. To that end, the paper is concluded by discussing its implications, limitations, and recommendations for future research
Creating a Knowledge Base for Interventions Countering (Violent) Extremism: Intervention Goals and Mechanisms for Different Ideologies.
Get PDFMany interventions aim to tackle violent radicalization. Monitoring the implementation of interventions results in a better identification of effective interventions and in a more appropriate selection of applicable interventions for practitioners. Using meta-analytic and network analytic methods, we present a method to store and retrieve information about countering (violent) extremism (CVE) interventions using a knowledge base that allows for different searches for relevant information. We describe the construal of this knowledge base using data on 99 European CVE interventions. Subsequently, we present inferences that can be drawn from this sample. Key determinants to identify whether radicalizing people are eligible for participating in CVE interventions were found to be friendship relations, group affiliation and available intelligence. Dependent on the ideology targeted by the CVE intervention different goals and mechanisms were identified. Information on financial costs of CVE interventions was often not available in open sources. Implications of representing the information on CVE interventions into a knowledge base are discussed
The political challenges of community-level PVE practices: The Danish case of Copenhagen vs. Aarhus on dialoguing with extremist milieus
Get PDFIn 2015 and 2016 two interesting cases occurred in Denmark regarding practices related to Preventing Violent Extremism (PVE): a community-level dialogue was discontinued with an extremist milieu in Copenhagen due to the specific worldview but allowed to continue in a similar situation in Aarhus. What were the reasons for this divergence? When examining the community-level political argumentation, an exclusion paradigm played a crucial role, but other factors, such as confusion about the core concepts and goals of PVE, the political dynamics at play, and the prevailing decision-making structures also influenced the differential outcomes despite the similarity of the situations. Since community-level PVE practices constitute a rapidly growing field, there is a lesson to be learned from the Danish cases: building coherent and continuous PVE practices is not only a matter for professional practitioners, but also calls for a solid understanding of its goals at the political level.
“Kill Them Wherever You Find Them” - Radicalizing Narratives of the “So-Called” Islamic State Via the Online Magazine Rumiyah
Get PDFDuring the civil war in Syria and Iraq, numerous predominantly young Europeans joined the terrorist organization of the Islamic State and committed attacks in their homelands in the name of the Islamic State. The study “Westliche Jugendliche im Bann des Islamischen Staates” (Kiefer et al., 2016) examines the contents of the IS propaganda magazine Dabiq which was published until 2016. Dabiq was aimed at young people with the intention to radicalize them in the ideology of the IS. The Dabiq follow-up magazine Rumiyah appears at a time when the IS began losing ever larger parts of its former territories in Iraq and Syria and as signs of structural disintegration are appearing. It is upon the changes occurring within this period of transition that we focus our research efforts. We identify the radicalization strategies in Rumiyah and analyze whether, and to what extent, the IS adapts its propaganda to the changing political situation as compared to Dabiq. With the assistance of a deductively developed category system, this study uses a qualitative content analysis of all previous issues of Rumiyah to investigate the narratives Rumiyah utilizes in addressing its readers as well as the pathways proposed toward radicalization. Our research indicates that journeying to the Caliphate is no longer the primary objective of radicalization. In Rumiyah, young people are being asked to relocate the battle to their home countries, which we associate with the territorial losses of the IS. In addition, the frequent narration of enemy images and clear rules in Rumiyah magazine provides clues as to what action guidelines could be used to counter the radicalization of youth. Regarding the re-sults of this research, both the promotion of an interfaith and intra-Muslim dialogue as well as the support of parents whose children are looking for clearly communicated rules suitable to protect young people from radicalization by the IS and thus prevent terrorist attacks in their countries of origin
Exploring People’s Perceptions of Precursors to the Development of Radicalisation and Extremism.
Get PDFThe aim of the research was to explore perceptions of factors that may influence individuals to become radicalised. A semi-structured interview was carried out with 30 participants (15 = males, 15 = females) recruited in equal numbers from a U.K. and a U.S. university. Transcripts of the interviews were then analysed using thematic analysis. There was a high degree of agreement on likely precursors to radicalisation across the two groups with lack of identity, lack of social integration and loss of significance being the main factors. Some respondents identified that they believed that there may be personality types or vulnerabilities (e.g., mental health issues) that increased the likelihood of radicalisation. Overcoming these issues was the basis of counter radicalisation proposals with a strong emphasis on educational initiatives. Participants from the two countries were largely in agreement apart from their views relating to local communities and indicators of radicalisation. These factors are discussed in relation to prevention and intervention strategies
Comparing Theories of Radicalisation with Countering Violent Extremism Policy
Get PDFThis article assesses whether the scholarly literature on radicalisation is adequately integrated into national policy strategies for countering violent extremism (CVE). It outlines concepts and models of radicalisation, and offers a framework for understanding its various complex causes. The article then compares this scholarly research against case studies of CVE policy from the United Kingdom, Australia, Denmark, Sweden and The Netherlands. These countries’ policies adequately capture the core nature of radicalisation, but otherwise exhibit significant variation in how they explain its causes. This can be explained partly by a lack of clarity over how and why radicalisation happens. However, it also suggests that CVE policy is often shaped less by evidence-based research, and more by cultural, political and historical factors. This confirms a need for evidence-based approaches to CVE, and for deeper comparative studies of how radicalisation is understood across national contexts
Research Note on Immigrant Youth Radicalization and Terrorism: Pre- and Post-Migration Considerations
Get PDFThis theoretical paper is based on working experience with newcomer refugee youth in Canada. It calls for an understanding of the refugee pre- and post-migration experience in an attempt to answer why some youth are drawn to radicalization and engagement in terrorism. This comprehension could lend to designing a global refugee youth radicalization and terrorism prevention strategy by creating resiliency within the refugee camps and within the host community of resettlement. The paper presents 12 propositions which need to be tested by future empirical research