Universiteit Utrecht

Formers & families: transitional journeys in and out of extremisms in the United Kingdom, Denmark and the Netherlands.

Prof.dr. Micha de Winter

Universiteit Utrecht

IDEALS ADRIFT: Radicalized Youth from the Perspective of Socialisation & Education

Universiteit UtrechtConclusions• Radicalisation is a phenomenon that is inherent to

identity-formation during adolescence • Young radicals see themselves as Idealists and

Reformers of the World • That offers constructive starting points for dialogue and

confrontation, civil education • While adolescents need counterweight, their socialising

‘agents’ turn away• Parents and schools need support (2008)• Such support was hardly available, few policy initiatives

in that direction• One-sided focus on security amplifies fanatism and

isolation • The need for a complementary educational approach

Universiteit Utrecht

To learn from former extremists and their relatives about their role in the radicalisation process and the process away from it.

F&F”:Research objective

The role of family in the process

In spite of anecdotal evidence NO significant causal role for family members actions is reported in this study. Neither in radicalisation nor in de-radicalisation.

But: individual journeys are not entirely devoid of any connections or patterns

Whereas respondents do not highlight the role of the family members, there are many family related factors that seem to impact the youth’s journey: mainly experiences of loss, and a lack of emotional support or clear boundaries.

J o u r ne y 1 : Being pushed away ( # = 1 / 2 ) PRE-RAD: families experience problems with their

functioning, often in a challenging neighbourhood or highly polarised context. Exposure to formative milieus, school or after-school networks. Lack of authority and/or emotional support. Often triggered by events of loss or turmoil, youth turn their back at families and turn towards surrogate family.

NEED FOR: strong rules and care

DE-RAD: violence, hate inside, unliveable

POST-RAD: licking wounds, new family (repairing personal damage)

To succeed in transition from child to adulthood, the youth distances from the ‘old’ life.

J o u r n e y 2 : B e i n g p u l l e d t o w a r d s ( # = 1 / 3 ) PRE-RAD: Growing up in a warm and stable family

context. Intelligent, ambitious youngsters, with a strong emotional response to injustice. Once confronted with an injustice, many of these youth develop resistance but cannot address these strong emotions in the institutions in which they are raised, and adopt a radical framework as an alternative framework or spiritual outcome.

NEED FOR: justice, depth, purpose

DE-RAD: hypocrisy, boredom

POST-RAD: militant, active (still fighting with words)

To succeed in transition from ambitious pupil to critical citizen

J o u r n e y 3 : P a s s i o n a t e p e r s o n a l i t i e s ( # = 1 / 3 )

PRE-RAD: personality attracted to extremes (neuro-diversity) interacts with radical narrative and leads to a very serious, ambitious path. Youth draws / demands lots of attention. Most have had, since they were children, an enormous need to be at the centre stage, obtaining attention, dominating and showing off, intellectually as well as physically.

NEED FOR: challenge, focus

DE-RAD: books, different ideals

POST-RAD: highly committed to a very different ideal

To succeed in transition from child to adult the person is inclined to push boundaries and go at lengths for everything he encounters in an all or nothing lifestyle

• Let’s acknowledge that both Policy, Practice and Research on Radicalisation run the Risk to radicalise into narrow paradigms

• The disturbing Reality however is that Radicalisation is a complex, multilayered Phenomenon that by Definition is a Mixture of Psychology AND Ideology

Some implications for Policy & Practice

• Strengthen authoratative coalitions between parents, schools & others involved

• Forces working upon youth are too powerfull and complex for individual parents and teachers to handle

• Together, they can offer the necessary moral support & authority• Support adolescents in their search for identity

• Even radical identities are developing..• Develop educational programs around radicalisation

• Not only focussing on building resilience, but also• Teach how to fight for ideals in a peaceful way

• Offer youth and parents support in exit from extremist organisations

• Offer alternative options for the expression of socio-political involvement, constructive use of will-power & energy

The art of peaceful fighting

Why educate for peaceful fighting?

• In modern societies citizens have equal rights• Because of that: conflictuous society• But thanks to earlier generations we have

learned to solve conflicts without (..) bloodshed

• Therefore societies need institutions s.a. parlements, courts, market regulations etc.

• Citizens need competences, wisdom, empathy etc. to struggle for their ideals in a peaceful way

• Let’s not take these capacities for granted: they should be taught and practiced.

Hannah Arendt: “enlarged mentality”• In order to be able to judge

others,and to value diversity• One needs to develop imagination: • ‘to go visiting’ in the thoughts of

others• Only this way we can prevent that

the ‘truths of some’ will develop into totalitarism