Comparing Radical and Non-Radical Violence: An Umbrella Review of Risk and Protective Factors

• In Event: Explaining Mass Shootings

Abstract

The study of violent radicalization (VR) has progressively emphasized the importance of identifying risk and protective factors to facilitate preventative interventions. Nonetheless, research into the factors specific to VR remains fragmented and lacks comprehensive analysis comparing the risk/protective factors for general violence and those for VR. Recognizing that interconnecting these fields could enhance prevention efforts against VR, this research sought to analyze and compare risk /protective factors for non-radically motivated violence and for violent radicalization. To achieve this, we carried out an umbrella review—a comprehensive meta-analysis of existing meta-analyses—on individual-level risk/protective factors. We sought to identify 1) factors shared across various forms of violence, 2) factors unique to VR, and 3) factors that are not adequately examined in the context of violent radical outcomes. Adhering to Campbell Collaboration guidelines, our extensive search across 23 academic databases resulted in the inclusion of 26 studies covering 97 distinct risk and protective factors. Through a comparison of effect sizes, we were able to highlight previously overlooked parallels between key factors that can lead to violent radicalization and other forms of violence. This study underscores the value of integrating research from other fields of violence prevention to that of preventing violent radicalization.

Authors

• Caroline Deli, Université de Montréal

• Sébastien Brouillette-Alarie, Université du Québec à Montréal

• Ghayda Hassan, Université du Québec à Montréal