Recruitment and Radicalization of Youth in The United States

• In Event: Improving our Understanding on how Persons are Radicalized to Terrorist Violence

Abstract

The radicalization of youth has garnered increasing national and global concern in recent decades. The U.S. Department of State’s 2007 Country report released in 2008 highlighted that youth are increasingly being radicalized and manipulated by terrorist organizations globally. Youth play a pivotal role in the infrastructure of violent extremism, whether as lone-wolf perpetrators or as part of a terrorist group. Although the radicalization of youth is by no means a new phenomenon, the acceleration of homegrown terrorism in the United States since 9/11 has posed a unique threat to policymakers. This process is often a precursor to violent extremism, and as such, developing a strong empirical foundation for reducing radicalization is imperative. This paper explores the multifaceted process and the contributing factors and inherent vulnerabilities that make youth especially susceptible to radicalization. Four theoretical frameworks will be examined in relation to radicalization and recruitment. Finally, policy recommendations will be proposed, which include prevention and intervention strategies by examining a pilot program devised and implemented in Minneapolis.

Authors

• Hannah Chesterton, North Carolina Central University

• Lorna Elaine Grant, North Carolina Central University