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Radicalization as deviant social development. First empirical results of an integrated model

Andreas Beelmann, University of Jena

Presents first empirical data on a new social-developmental model of radicalization among youth and young adults. The model is based on a systematic review of theories on radicalization and violent extremism as well as developmental studies and research on risk and protective factors for the normative and deviant social development. In general, we assume a three-step model of radicalization: 1. Ongenetic social-developmental processes including the interaction of societal (e.g., social inequality, intergroup conflicts), social (e.g., negative family influences, experiences of rejection and discrimination) and individual risk (negative self-concept, certain personality traits, early antisocial behavior) on the one and protective factors (bonding to democratic values) on the other side within a most dynamic period for social development from early childhood to late adolescence. 2. Proximal radicalization processes which will be established between early adolescence or middle adulthood with four interrelated but distinct social-developmental processes: Antisocial attitudes and behavior, Prejudice, Identity problems and the acquisition of political or religious ideologies. 3. If these proximal processes are present to a certain extent, extremist attitudes and behavior becomes more and more likely. First empirical results stem from a cross-sectional school survey with 1.145 students aged 14 to 17 years. They showed that the risks for radicalized and extremist attitudes are continuously linked to the four proximal processes and that students with high manifestations on all proximal risk factors had approximately a seven times higher risk for radicalized and extremist attitudes. Several important implications of the social-developmental model will be discussed. For example, although we assume comparable processes for different forms of extremism (right-wing, left-wing, religious) and different degrees of severity (e.g., attitudes vs. terrorist acts), we will outline characteristic differences between those manifestations. In addition, the article summarizes the implication of this social-developmental model according to different forms of developmental prevention at different stages and subgroups for radicalization and extremism. We will conclude that a developmental perspective is necessary to supplement the more politically oriented approaches to explaining and countering radicalization and violent extremism.

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