Deradicalizing detained terrorists

David Webber*, Marina Chernikova, Arie W. Kruglanski, Michele J. Gelfand, Malkanthi Hettiarachchi, Rohan Gunaratna, Marc Andre Lafreniere, Jocelyn J. Belanger

*Corresponding author for this work

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    77 Citations (Scopus)

    Abstract

    Deradicalization of terrorists constitutes a critical component of the global "war on terror." Unfortunately, little is known about deradicalization programs, and evidence for their effectiveness is derived solely from expert impressions and potentially flawed recidivism rates. We present the first empirical assessment of one such program: the Sri Lankan rehabilitation program for former members of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (a terrorist organization that operated in Sri Lanka until their defeat in 2009). We offer evidence that deradicalization efforts that provided beneficiaries with sustained mechanisms for earning personal significance significantly reduced extremism after 1 year (Study 1). We also found that upon release, beneficiaries expressed lower levels of extremism than their counterparts in the community (Study 2). These findings highlight the critical role of personal significance in deradicalization efforts, offer insights into the workings of deradicalization, and suggest practical methods for improving deradicalization programs worldwide.

    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)539-556
    Number of pages18
    JournalPolitical Psychology
    Volume39
    Issue number3
    Early online date9 May 2017
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - Jun 2018

    Keywords

    • deradicalization
    • extremism
    • psychology of terrorism
    • significance quest theory

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