Radicalization and Deradicalization: A Qualitative Analysis of Parallels in Relevant Risk Factors and Trigger Factors

We analyzed five narrative interviews with individuals who disengaged from Islamist extremist and Salafist ideologies in an early stage of radicalization (Study 1) and seven semistructured expert interviews with employees of German deradicalization programs (Study 2) to explore which root factors are common to both radicalization and deradicalization and how they manifest. Employing a coding-reliability approach to Thematic Analyses, we constructed five themes central in radicalization and deradicalization, respectively. Parallels between radicalization and deradicalization (themes: social surroundings, exclusion vs. acceptance, social status, self-definition, and structure/sense of purpose) as well as the specifics of our particular sample-female explorers of religious extremism-and implications for future research are discussed. Public Significance Statement Interview data from young adults who had explored religiously radicalized movements in the past (specifically, the Salafist movements in Germany, mainly the group around German public preacher Pierre Vogel) as well as from experts working in German deradicalization programs are analyzed. The most important factors influencing radicalization and deradicalization were related to social belonging and social identity. Preventative efforts should focus on social inclusion, countering discrimination, and proactively working with youth to resolve identity crises.