The Many Paths To Radicaliation: Leveraging Law Enforcement For A Counter Radicalization Strategy
Abstract
The current campaign strategy against terrorism has focused on the immediate fight, with short-term attacks against organizations such as al-Qaeda, Boko Haram, and the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS). Success in the fight against violent extremism requires understanding the terrorist organizations that promulgate violence, but to win the long war requires understanding what drives a person to radicalize and join these organizations. Preventing future generations from joining these groups will enable success in the long run. Solving radicalization requires understanding the pathways that people take from political conviction to group violence, so that governments and civil organizations can take steps to inhibit this process. Many factors interact in causing people to radicalize, creating complexity that obstructs understanding. A multidisciplinary approach considering an individuals internal motivations and external environment that influences them to commit violent acts against innocent civilians offers great value in analyzing the diverse paths to radicalization. Research shows that people follow many diverse paths to radicalization: many internal and external factors make individuals vulnerable to appeals from radical recruiters. Violent extremist organizations (VEOs) exploit vulnerable individuals by promising them a path toward justice, belonging, fulfillment, spiritual status, and sometimes adventure. This radicalization process correlates closely with the factors pushing individuals to join criminal organizations and gangs. Therefore, investigating this topic can guide leaders to discover strategies to counter the radicalization process. For example, efforts to prevent future radicalization include local social programs linking communities and organizations, civilians, and law enforcement.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Dec 01, 2017
- Accession Number
- AD1055059
Entities
People
- Victoria J. Mayo
Organizations
- Air Command and Staff College