ABSTRACT

This chapter outlines the methods and sources used for the present book, as well as provides an in-depth literature review and state of the art in ‘deradicalization’ research, as well as practice. Examining various related fields and studies, such as criminology, gang research, New Religious Movements (NRMs), classical demobilization programs, and the sociology of role change, it is shown that working with extremist offenders or terrorists in prison is indeed nothing new, but draws on experiences and insights from many different fields and areas of research. Nevertheless, deradicalization and disengagement interventions have become a cornerstone of counter-terrorism policies and strategies looking beyond the muscular approach of arresting or killing against a tactic (i.e., terrorism) employed by various different ideological groups and movements. Deradicalization is not bound to the penal realm, but is also used in a wide array of methods roughly described as countering violent extremism (CVE). Overlapping with tools more concerned with prevention or early intervention, deradicalization has also been applied to work with top-level and hard-core members of radical milieus and groups in the later stages of a violent radicalization process. This lack of conceptual clarity has been criticized many times:

Deradicalization often appears to be understood as any effort aimed at preventing radicalization from tacking place. There is also a lack of distinction between the cognitive and behavioural aspects of (de-)radicalization, as if holding radical views necessarily will predict expressions of radical or violent behaviour. It is also often taken for granted that changes in values precede changes in behaviour, and that we therefore first need to address people’s values before we can influence their behaviours.