Desistance from Islamist Extremism: Implications of Biographical Case Study Findings for a General “Theory of Change” for Extremist Offenders

• In Event: EXTREME Panel 6. Mobilisation and exit pathways

Abstract

This paper presents the results of an empirical investigation into desistance processes among 16 Islamist extremists and terrorists in Germany, using the methodology of constructivist biographical research. The study focuses on how individuals experienced their biographical journey and how they reinterpret their past experiences. Interviews were conducted between 2018 and 2020, with eight of the 16 participants having joined jihadist groups, and six sentenced to prison for terrorist offenses.
The findings indicate that cognitive transformation, including the development of a new self-concept in discontinuity with the past and the creation of meaningful life plans outside the extremist scene, forms the key foundation for desistance from Salafist extremism. However, some individuals were unable to practically realize their new self-concept and life plan due to a lack of individual resources, supportive social relationships, and unfavourable structural conditions. This hindered their ability to fully reformulate their biography, resulting in an unstable and unsustainable desistance process.
The study highlights the central importance of the individual's capacity for action (“agency”), aligning with newer criminological desistance theories and theories of change discussed in deradicalization literature. A significant contribution of the biographical approach is demonstrating that the individual's capacity for action is shaped by their ability to reformulate their biography, and vice versa. Thus, agency and cognitive transformation must be understood as mutually dependent factors in processes of desistance.
From the perspective of tertiary prevention, it is crucial to support individuals in building agency while also reflecting on and reformulating their extremist biography, as this process is essential for achieving sustainable desistance.

Author

• Robert Pelzer, Technische Universität Berlin