On the basis of empirical research on an underrepresented group—Turkish-Dutch youngsters—and an overrepresented group—converts—in Islamist extremist movements, we want to contribute to the debate on what fosters radicalization and resilience. While in both the underrepresented and the overrepresented group there are ample factors recognizable that are commonly identified as contributing to radicalization,…

How we understand and respond to terrorism is an issue that has caused very significant debate amongst academic researchers and practitioners alike. In the aftermath of 9/11, there was a flurry of activity in an effort to understand how and why the attackers perpetrated the violence, what motivated them and…

Work on preventing radicalization and violent extremism (PRVE) is beset with dilemmas, difficult considerations and pitfalls. Based on a synthesis of previous research and original data, this article conceptualizes and discusses three key dilemmas present in PRVE practice and policy: that of civil liberties versus security, that of too soft…

Since the fall of the Caliphate, the activities and overall threat posed by Western jihadists has undoubtedly diminished. A recent study released by the Program on Extremism, for example, demonstrated a steady decline in jihadist activity in the United States (U.S.) since 2020. In this three-year period, only twenty-nine Americans have been charged,…

Despite being recognised as the foundational process of an extremist group exit [Morrison, J. F., Silke, A., Maiberg, H., Slay, C., & Stewart, R. (2021). A systematic review of post-2017 research on disengagement and deradicalisation. Centre for Research and Evidence on Security Threats. https://crestresearch.ac.uk/download/3797/21-033-02.pdf], identity transformation is surprisingly under-investigated. This paper therefore explores…

Designed to support organizations involved in the development and/or implementation of action plans to Prevent and Counter Violent Extremism (PCVE action plans), this Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) Toolkit, shares practical steps on how to develop and implement a MEL Plan to support a PCVE action plan. The Toolkit caters to…

This study is a critical discourse analysis of the misogynistic narratives shared by three incel violent extremists: Elliot Rodger, Alek Minassian, and Scott Beierle. Utilizing Kate Manne’s give/take model, which suggests a wider cultural pattern of misogyny serving to uphold patriarchy, this study finds that incel men expect women to provide…

This report outlines a comprehensive framework of best practices in the reintegration of foreign terrorist fighter spouses and children (i.e., “the FTF family”). It collates and synthesizes a suite of interlocking principles to guide reintegration policy and implementation, covering practical challenges and programmatic objectives, the organizational structure and process of…

Hosts Jessica White and Raffaello Pantucci are joined by Martine Zeuthen and James Khalil to talk about the types of countering violent extremism interventions addressed at people who have already been involved with violent extremism.

This is the tenth edition of the Global Terrorism Index (GTI). This report provides a comprehensive summary of the key global trends and patterns in terrorism over the last decade. The calculation of the GTI score considers not only deaths but also incidents, hostages and injuries from terrorism, weighted over…

This report summarizes, and builds on, some of the author’s previous conceptual work. It approaches the definition of terrorism from five angles: (i) by focusing on the history of terrorism;(ii) by focusing on the psychology of ‘terror’ (the threat and fear factor); (iii) by focusing on forms of political violence…

This paper examines the relationship between gender and violent extremism (VE) among individuals engaged in VE clinical services in Montreal, Quebec (Canada). We use mixed methods to understand the experiences and characteristics of individuals who express support for male supremacist ideologies. Study participants include 86 patients enrolled in VE clinical…