Preventing the Next Generation: Mapping the Pathways of Children s Mobilization into Violent Extremist Organizations
Abstract
In recent years, non-state violent extremist movements have mobilized children into their front-line ranks. Whileterrorist movements have begun to recruit and deploy female operatives, the use of children represents a worrying new development, both tactically and strategically. Evidence of children~s mobilization continues to increase. Online music videos extol the virtues of martyrdom to teens, and abundant television programming aimed at instilling the desire to be a shahid has spread throughout the Islamic world. In diaspora communities, efforts at grooming the next generation of militants has been uncovered in the US and UK. Schools specifically dedicated to churning out pre-pubescent bombers have been established in Pakistan and the Sudan, and the Afghan Taliban routinely kidnap children to force them to become bombers. While the growth of child soldiers in Africa is well documented, our knowledge of how, why and when children become involved in terrorist movements~and how to prevent it--is, for the most part, non-existent. With the establishment of the so-called Islamic State in Syria and Iraq, we have seen children move being passive witnesses of violence to active participants in hangings, stonings and on July 4th 2015, beheadings. As this problem continues to develop, it urgently requires theoretically informed research to map the processes and understand the fundamental factors shaping militant group behavior in fostering the next generation. The research proposed here seeks to explain the increasing extent of children and adolescents~ involvement in terrorism across and within multiple arenas, and in doing so trace their changing role from victims to perpetrators while demonstrating the inter-changeability of these roles. Children may be forced into terrorist movements - they are victimized and traumatized by their experiences. In turn, they themselves exploit and victimize others. We anticipate some broad similarities between children~s involvement in terrorism, gangs, and militias but equally anticipate significant differences with respect to the familial and cultural dynamics in the contextof terrorism, where children~s involvement is often associated with outright consent both from parental figures as well as religious and community leaders.Drawing on our prior research accessing sensitive populations in communities affected by violent extremism, we will examine cases from terrorist groups worldwide. In particular, they focus on mapping the region-specific sociocultural routes for children~s mobilization into violence, and explain how certain conflict settings construct ~cultures of martyrdom~ and sustain society~s social and psychological commitment to violent organizations. They will examine how children are influenced by such environments and what role parents, community leaders and religious leaders play in changing normative values and getting children involved in VEOs.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Sep 30, 2016
- Source ID
- N000141612693
Entities
People
- Mia Bloom
Organizations
- Georgia State University
- Office of Naval Research
- United States Navy