Understanding the justification of political violence among the UK population

• In Event: EXTREME Panel 4. Radicalization pathways

Abstract

Political violence poses a growing threat to both community safety and national security in the United Kingdom (UK). In the past year, law enforcement has expressed concerns about the increasing number of individuals drawn to political violence. Following heightened tensions linked to the Israel-Gaza war and the UK Riots of 2024, public opinion surveys indicate that 74% of Great Britain's population is worried about the rise of religious extremism, while 73% are concerned about the growth of right-wing extremism (IPSOS, 2024).
This study seeks to understand the factors that contribute to the justification of political violence among the UK population. Using data from the World Values Survey (WVS) Wave 7 (2022), we apply an ordinal logistic regression model to examine how political participation, political ideology, and religious values shape attitudes toward political violence. Our findings highlight the significant role of life satisfaction and political engagement in shaping individuals' propensity to legitimise political violence. These results provide important insights into the social and political dynamics influencing radicalisation and offer implications for policy responses aimed at mitigating the risks associated with political extremism.

Author

• Gilbert McLaughlin, Liverpool Hope Universty