Hopes and Disappointment: Processes of Getting Involved in and Out of Radical Extremist Groups

Abstract

Various reasons — political or non-political — lead people to participation in terrorism and similar forms of violent extremism. Those involved in terrorism come from different social backgrounds and have often been subjected to processes of violent radicalization. Terrorist profiles do not work as a tool to identify real or potential terrorists because such profiles do not reflect diversity and how people change when they become involved in violent extremism. Which suggests a more dynamic typology of militant group members based on dimensions that represent dynamic continuums rather than static positions. Disillusionment with what originally attracted them to the movement — whether it was political goals, the search for friendship or a sense of belonging — is one of the main factors leading to the process of leaving a militant movement or group. However, disengagement is far from simply reversing or mirroring the original process of engaging in violent extremism. In the course of their extremist career, individual activists tend to change values and motives, as well as positions and roles in the militant group. Hence, a better understanding of the factors that cause frustration for different types of violent activists allows us to suggest opportunities for strengthening these processes, contributing to a higher level of individual exit from an extremist group.

Keywords

• extremism
• terrorism
• the limits of radicalization
• ideological activists
• drifters and followers
• socially dissatisfied youth