Radicalisation as Deviant Social Development: Empirical Confirmation of an Integrated Model

• In Event: Radicalisation Into Right-Wing Extremism and Multi-Agency Approaches to Counter and Prevent it

Abstract

Presents empirical data on a new social-developmental model of radicalisation among youth and young adults. This model assumes a three-step model of radicalisation: Ontogenetic social-developmental processes (interaction of societal, social, and individual risk and protective factors); proximal radicalisation processes within early adolescence to middle adulthood with four interrelated but distinct social-developmental processes (antisocial attitudes and behaviour, prejudice, identity problems, acquisition of political or religious ideologies); and finally, extremist attitudes and behaviour. First empirical results stem from a cross-sectional school survey with 1.145 students aged 14 to 17 years. They showed that the risks for radicalised and extremist attitudes are continuously linked to the four proximal processes and that students with high manifestations on all proximal risk factors had approximately a seven times higher risk for radicalised and extremist attitudes. Several important implications of the social-developmental model will be discussed. For example, we will outline different forms of developmental prevention at different stages and subgroups. Finally, we will conclude that a developmental perspective is necessary to supplement the more politically oriented approaches to explaining and countering radicalisation and violent extremism.

Author

• Andreas Beelmann, Friedrich Schiller University Jena