ABSTRACT

Drawing on research with those who work with people involved with militant Islamism in the United Kingdom, this chapter examines the practical, conceptual and theoretical foundation of “deradicalisation” efforts to present an alternative account of engagement in political violence. It does so by first, examining the concept of “success” with politically motivated ex-prisoners. Although fundamental to interpreting notions of “deradicalisation”, we have a relatively limited understanding of appropriate aims of work with this population. Based on extensive interviews and fieldwork, the chapter develops the implications of a framework for understanding effectiveness through two theoretical approaches to resettlement in the community: the “strengths-based” approach and the “risk” model. The first encourages the individual to conceive of ways to work towards a positive future, whilst the second tries to plug perceived deficits, such as poor educational attainment. Looking more carefully at the strengths-based approach suggests a reframing of how we approach the concept of “radicalisation”. Acknowledging the positive benefits individuals seek to achieve by engaging in illegal political activity is the first step in this.