Extremist groups like ISIS, Boko Haram, al-Shabaab, and others have used indiscriminate violence and violated human rights on many occasions. Despite their inhumane activities, these groups still manage to attract followers. This fact shows that one cannot combat these groups by countering their acts of terrorism alone, but one must also address and combat the ideologies of violent extremism that they spread. It is crucial to comprehend the ideas behind the phenomenon of violent extremism and the reasons why people join these radical groups. Policymakers often do not necessarily fully understand the complexity of the phenomenon and therefore might inadvertently make policy decisions that are not necessarily the best choice or provide only a partial solution, and may have negative consequences.