Thread by @RANDCorporation

Why and how do people join violent extremist organizations? And how do they become deradicalized?

To find out, we conducted interviews with former extremists and their families and friends.

Here are 10 key takeaways... [thread] bit.ly/3wlkCXK

The attack on the Capitol and other recent events emphasize the need for more research to inform prevention and deradicalization strategies.

These interviews illustrate how 24 white supremacists and 8 Islamic extremists became radicalized—and how some left these groups.

1️⃣Negative life events are part of radicalization, but they’re not the sole cause.

Abuse/trauma, family problems, and bullying often have psychological/behavioral consequences and are sometimes implicated in radicalization pathways. But they're not the most direct cause.

2️⃣Those with mental health challenges often had difficulty accessing care.

Not every respondent spoke of mental health problems, but those who did mentioned a lack of treatment options that were accessible or affordable.

3️⃣The enduring appeal of extremist groups seems to lie in attending to fundamental human needs.

Important needs––for social bonds, for love/acceptance, to have a purpose in life––go unmet for some people. This can leave them prone to become involved with extremist views/groups.

4️⃣Radical ideology and involvement in extremist activities have addictive properties for many.

Physical violence and engaging in extremist activity online have addictive properties that appear linked to the experience of joint risk and struggle against a common enemy.

5️⃣Recruitment to radical groups deliberately leverages psychological vulnerabilities.

Groups restrict access to information or circumstances that challenge ideological constructs and use social/cognitive strategies for reinforcing in-group bias and hatred toward outsiders.

6️⃣Extremist groups nurture a self-reinforcing social milieu.

This includes shared purpose, camaraderie, friendship, and joint activities, all of which can involve both risk and emotional rewards.

7️⃣Both radicalization and deradicalization are linked to being in the right place at the right time.

An individual's experience of a dramatic life event and of highly meaningful social interactions (negative and positive) play fundamental roles in both processes.

8️⃣Heavy-handed attempts by formal institutions to deradicalize individuals often fail.

Such measures taken by intelligence and law enforcement agencies can sometimes deepen ongoing radicalization processes and push potentially salvageable cases to more-extreme behaviors.

9️⃣Stigmatization of groups seems mostly to push at-risk individuals further down the extremist path.

Punitive measures, banned speech, and indignant public discourse can backfire and increase the drive for radicalization.

🔟Media literacy, access to diverse sources of information, and positive experiences with diversity appear critical for deradicalization.

Structured, opportunistic interventions that involve exposure to people outside the group who exhibit kindness/generosity may be effective.

Check out the full report, including recommendations for preventing radicalization and promoting deradicalization, here. ⤵️ bit.ly/3wlkCXK