Walking away: the disengagement and de-radicalization of a violent right-wing extremist

ABSTRACT

This article presents a case study of one individual's trajectory through violent right-wing extremism in the USA. Drawing on an in-depth in-person interview conducted with ‘Sarah', we trace the influences affecting the nature and extent of her involvement, engagement and disengagement. We focus on delineating the complexity of Sarah's disengagement from violent extremism. Her account supports several claims in the literature. First, there is rarely any single cause associated with individual disengagement. Rather, the phenomenon is a dynamic process shaped by a multitude of interacting push/pull factors, sunk costs and the perceived availability of alternatives outside the group. Second, as this case illustrates, prison affords physical separation from the violent extremist group and with it, time to reflect which may be critical to sustaining disengagement. Third, this account illustrates how de-radicalization may be a long-term process, and may in some cases supersede rather than precede one's exit, even where disillusionment precedes disengagement. Finally, Sarah's case suggests the successful adoption of a new social role and sense of identity as a potentially important protective factor in reducing the risk of re-engagement.

KEYWORDS:

• Right-wing
• extremism
• terrorism
• disengagement
• deradicalization

Acknowledgements

The research from which this article is drawn is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Science and Technology Directorate and coordinated through the U.K. Home Office. The views and conclusions contained in this document are those of the authors and should not be interpreted as necessarily representing the official policies, either expressed or implied, of the Department of Homeland Security or the Home Office.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes on contributors

John Horgan is Professor in the Department of Psychology and Global Studies Institute at Georgia State University.

Mary Beth Altier is Visiting Clinical Assistant Professor at the Center for Global Affairs, New York University.

Neil Shortland is Program Manager at the Center for Terrorism and Security Studies at the University of Massachusetts Lowell.

Max Taylor is Visiting Professor in the Department of Security and Crime Science, at University College, London.

Notes

1 We define ‘violent extremism,' as ‘a willingness to use or support the use of violence to further particular beliefs, including those of political, social, or ideological nature. This may include acts of terrorism' (see Nassine-Eddine, Garnham, Agostino, & Caluya, 2011). We feel this term is a bit broader than terrorism and encompasses the full range of extremist activity undertaken by “Sarah.”

2 Name has been changed to protect the individual's anonymity.

3 In accordance with Horgan and Taylor (2011) we maintain that there is an important behavioral distinction between “involvement” and “engagement,” in that “involvement” encompasses behaviors that are associated with initial socialization into terrorism, while “engagement” is about addressing the specific behaviors involved in the commission of terrorist activity (e.g. attack planning, execution, funding, recruiting, etc.).