The comprehensive view of global extremist violence indicates that as long as we lack a sufficient understanding of why young people join radical groups, we lack the information of how to effectively prevent radicalization and curb extremist violence. It is evident that the development of preventative social and community-centered strategies based on social scientific research is imperative to strengthening the global security strategy, but the questions remain of what these strategies look like and how they are to be implemented. This study was designed upon this premise, aiming to fill the gaps in the current security paradigm. The study was conducted in Pakistan, Israel and Palestine, Northern Ireland and Nigeria in 2013 reflects the subjective understanding of mothers on the existence and proliferation of violent extremism as they experience it in the context of their families, communities and, most importantly, in the lives of their children.