This month, RESOLVE highlights recommended readings from our latest Policy Note, "Deradicalization Programs: Recommendations for Policy and Practice.” Author John Horgan explains how and why people leave violent extremist movements, which constitutes actionable knowledge that brings immense practical benefits. The policy note provides recommendations on how deradicalization programs can and should be evaluated to prove far more beneficial than is currently believed. This What We’re Reading digest was recommended by the author to give more background on deradicalization theory and processes, recidivism, country-specific experiences of disengagement and deradicalization, and previously implemented deradicalization and reintegration models.  

 

On Deradicalization Theory and Process

Altier, Mary Beth, Emma Leonard Boyle, Neil D. Shortland, and John G. Horgan. “Why they leave: An analysis of terrorist disengagement events from eighty-seven autobiographical accounts.” Security Studies 26, no. 2 (April 3, 2017): 305–332. https://doi. org/10.1080/09636412.2017.1280307.

Altier, Mary Beth, Christian Thoroughgood, and John Horgan. “Turning Away from Terrorism: Lessons from Psychology, Sociology, and Criminology.” Journal of Peace Research 51, no. 5 (2014): 647- 661. https://doi.org/10.1177%2F0022343314535946.

Bjorgo, Toro, and John Horgan. Leaving terrorism behind: Individual and collective disengagement. London: Routledge, 2009. da Silva, Raquel, Pablo Fernández-Navarro, Miguel M. Gonçalves, Catarina Rosa, and Joana Silva. “Disengagement from political violence and deradicalization: A narrative-dialogical perspective.” Studies in Conflict & Terrorism 43, no. 6 (June 2, 2020): 444–467. https://doi.org/10.1080/1057610x.2018.1452709.

Ebaugh, Helen Rose Fuchs. Becoming an Ex: The process of role exit. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press, 1988. https://doi. org/10.7208/chicago/9780226160535.001.0001.

Grip, Lina, and Jenniina Kotajoki. “Deradicalisation, disengagement, rehabilitation and reintegration of violent extremists in conflict-affected contexts: A systematic literature review.” Conflict, Security and Development 19, no. 4 (July 4, 2019): 371– 402. https://doi.org/10.1080/14678802.2019.1626577.

Harris, K. J., E. Gringart, and D. Drake. “Leaving ideological groups behind: A model of disengagement.” Behavioral Sciences of Terrorism and Political Aggression 10, no. 2 (2018): 91–109. https://doi.org/10.1080/19434472.2017.1299782.

Horgan, John, Katharina Meredith, Katerina Papatheodorou. “Does deradicalization work?.” In Radicalization and Counter-Radicalization (Sociology of Crime, Law and Deviance, Vol. 25) edited by Derek M. D. Silva and Mathieu Deflem, 9-20. Bingley: Emerald Publishing Limited, 2020. https://doi.org/10.1108/s1521-613620200000025001.

Koehler, Daniel. Understanding deradicalization: Methods, tools and programs for countering violent extremism. New York, NY: Routledge, 2017. La Palm, Marita. “Re-purposing the push–pull model to describe signature patterns of terrorist dis- engagement by group: A validation study.” Journal for Deradicalization 12 (Fall 2017): 85–118. https://journals.sfu.ca/jd/index.php/jd/article/view/112.

Marsden, Sarah V. Reintegrating extremists: Deradicalisation and desistance. London: Palgrave Macmillan, 2017. Raets, Sigrid. “The we in me. Considering terrorist desistance from a social identity perspective.” Journal for Deradicalization 13 (Winter 2017): 1–28. https://journals.sfu.ca/jd/index.php/jd/article/view/122.

Sieckelinck, Stijn, Elga Sikkens, Marion van San, Sita Kotnis, and Micha De Winter. “Transitional journeys into and out of extremism. A biographical approach.” Studies in Conflict & Terrorism 42, no. 7 (2019): 662–682. https://doi.org/10.1080/10576 10x.2017.1407075.

Simi, Peter, Steven Windisch, Daniel Harris, and Gina Ligon. “Anger from within: The role of emotions in disengagement from violent extremism.” Journal of Qualitative Criminal Justice & Criminology 7, no. 2 (2019): 3–28. https://digitalcommons.chapman.edu/sociology_articles/53/.

Windisch, Steven, Gina Scott Ligon, and Pete Simi. “Organizational [dis]trust: Comparing disengagement among former left-wing and right-wing violent extremists.” Studies in Conflict & Terrorism 42, no. 6 (2019): 559–580. https://doi.org/10.1080/10576 10x.2017.1404000.

Windisch, Steven, Pete Simi, Gina Sott Ligon, and Hillary McNeel. “Disengagement from ideologically-based and violent organizations: A systematic review of the literature.” Journal for Deradicalization 9 (Winter 2016/2017): 1–38. https://journals.sfu.ca/ jd/index.php/jd/article/view/72/65.

On Recidivism

Altier, Mary Beth, Emma Leonard Boyle, and John G. Horgan. (2019). “Returning to the fight: An empirical analysis of terrorist reengagement and recidivism.” Terrorism and Political Violence 33, no. 4 (2021): 836-860. https://doi.org/10.1080/0954655 3.2019.1679781.

Hodwitz, Omi. “The terrorism recidivism study (TRS) examining recidivism rates for post-9/11 offenders.” Perspectives on Terrorism 13, no. 2 (2019): 54–64. https://www.jstor.org/stable/26626865?seq=1#metadata_info_tab_contents.

Wright, Christopher. “An examination of Jihadi Recidivism Rates in the United States.” CTC Sentinel 12, no. 10 (November 2019). https://ctc.usma.edu/examination-jihadi-recidivism-rates-united-states/.

On Country-Specific Experiences of Disengagement and Deradicalization

Ahmad, Hafal. “Youth de-radicalization: A Canadian framework.” Journal for Deradicalization 12 (Fall 2017): 119–168. https:// journals.sfu.ca/jd/index.php/jd/article/view/113/94.

Alonso, Rogelio, and Javier Díaz Bada. “What role have former ETA terrorists played in counterterrorism and counterradicalization initiatives in Spain?.” Studies in Conflict and Terrorism 39, no. 11 (November 2016): 982–1006. https://doi.org/10.1080 /1057610x.2016.1154365.

Azam, Zubair, and Syeda Bareeha Fatima. “Mishal: A case study of a Deradicalization and Emancipation Program in SWAT Valley, Pakistan.” Journal for Deradicalization 11 (Summer 2017), https://journals.sfu.ca/jd/index.php/jd/article/view/97.

Chernov-Hwang, Julie. Why terrorists quit: The disengagement of Indonesian Jihadists. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 2018. Clubb, Gordon. Social movement de-radicalisation and the decline of terrorism: The morphogenesis of the Irish Republican Movement. London: Routledge, 2016. https://www.routledge.com/Social-Movement-De-Radicalisation-and-the-Dec….

Clubb, Gordon. “The role of Former Combatants in preventing youth involvement in terrorism in Northern Ireland: A framework for assessing Former Islamic State Combatants.” Studies in Conflict & Terrorism 39, no. 9 (September 2016): 842–861. https:// doi.org/10.1080/1057610x.2016.1144917.

Clubb, Gordon, and Marina Tapley. “Conceptualising de-radicalisation and former combatant re-integration in Nigeria.” Third World Quarterly 39, no. 11 (November 2, 2018): 2053–2068. https://doi.org/10.1080/01436597.2018.1458303.

Khalil, James, Rory Brown, Chris Chant, Peter Olowo, and Nick Wood. Deradicalization and disengagement in Somalia: Evidence from a rehabilitation programme for former members of Al-Shabaab. Royal United Services Institute Whitehall Report 4-18. Whitehall, London: Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security Studies, 2019. https://rusi.org/explore-ourresearch/publications/whitehall-reports/der….

Lowry, Kevin D. “Responding to the challenges of violent extremism/terrorism cases for United States Probation and Pretrial Services.” Journal for Deradicalization 17 (Winter 2018/2019): 28–88. https://journals.sfu.ca/jd/index.php/jd/article/ view/175/130.

Mattsson, Christer, and Thomas Johansson. “Becoming, belonging and leaving: Exit processes among young Neo-Nazis in Sweden.” Journal for Deradicalization 18 (Fall 2018): 185–216. https://journals.sfu.ca/jd/index.php/jd/article/view/161/125.

Mitchell, Stefanie. “Deradicalization: Using triggers for the development of a US Program.” Journal for Deradicalization 9 (Winter 2016/2017): 101–125. https://journals.sfu.ca/jd/index.php/jd/article/view/74/67.

Schuurman, Bart, and Edwin Bakker. “Reintegrating jihadist extremists: Evaluating a Dutch initiative, 2013–2014.” Behavioral Sciences of Terrorism and Political Aggression 8, no. 1 (January 2, 2016): 66–85. https://doi.org/10.1080/19434472.2015.1100 648.

Weeks, Douglas. “Doing Derad: An analysis of the U.K. system.” Studies in Conflict & Terrorism 41, no. 7 (July 3, 2018): 523– 540. https://doi.org/10.1080/1057610x.2017.1311107.

On Previously Implemented Deradicalization and Reintegration Models

Boucek, Christopher. “Saudi Arabia’s ‘Soft’ Counterterrorism Strategy: Prevention, Rehabilitation, and Aftercare.” Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, September 2, 2008. https://carnegieendowment.org/2008/09/22/ saudi-arabia-s-soft-counterterrorism-strategyprevention-rehabilitation-and-aftercare-pub-22155.

Cherney, Adrian. “Supporting disengagement and reintegration: Qualitative outcomes from a custody-based counter-radicalisation intervention.” Journal for Deradicalization 17 (Winter 2018/2019): 1–27. https://journals.sfu.ca/jd/index.php/jd/article/ view/174/129.