Abstract
Numerous studies argue that perceived group deprivation is a risk factor for radicalization and violent extremism. Yet, the vast majority of individuals, who experience such circumstances do not become radicalized. By utilizing models with several interacting risk and protective factors, the present analysis specifies this relationship more concretely. In a large United Kingdom nationally representative survey (n = 1,500), we examine the effects of group-based relative deprivation on violent extremist attitudes and violent extremist intentions, and we test whether this relationship is contingent upon several individual differences in personality. The results show that stronger group-based injustices lead to increased support for and intentions to engage in violent extremism. However, some of the effects are much stronger for individuals who exhibit a stronger need for uniqueness and for status and who demonstrate higher levels of trait entitlement. Conversely, several effects are lessened for those individuals high in trait forgiveness, demonstrating a strong capacity for self-control and for those who are exerting critical as well as open-minded thinking styles, thus constituting buffering protective factors, which dampen the adverse effects of perceived group injustice on violent extremism. The results highlight the importance of considering (a) the interaction between individual dispositions and perceptions of contextual factors (b) the conditional and cumulative effects of various risk and protective factors and (c) the functional role of protective factors when risk factors are present. Collectively, these findings bring us one step closer to understanding who might be more vulnerable to violent extremism as well as how. Overall, the study suggests that preventing and countering violent extremism (P/CVE) programs must take account of the constellation of multiple factors that interact with (and sometimes enable or disable) one another and which can be targeted in preventions strategies.
Highlights
Preventing the onset of violent radicalization is a key policy priority
We examine whether potential protective factors, i.e., trait forgiveness, high levels of self-control as well as criticaland open-minded thinking styles may dampen or nullify the adverse effects of group deprivation on violent extremism
To test our risk × risk hypotheses, we ran a series of moderation analyses, with group-based deprivation as the independent variable, need for uniqueness, need for status and trait entitlement as moderating variables, and violent
Summary
Preventing the onset of violent radicalization is a key policy priority. Such interventions often require risk assessments to prioritize cases and allocate management plans tailored to the individuals’ needs. This study focuses on one such factor: relative group deprivation. Several studies and conceptual models argue it is fundamental to how radicalization occurs (e.g., Borum, 2003; Moghaddam, 2005; McCauley and Moskalenko, 2008; Kruglanski et al, 2014) across different ideological contexts (Van den Bos, 2019; Kunst and Obaidi, 2020). The vast majority of individuals who experience such circumstances, do not become radicalized. The present study specifies these relationships more concretely and investigates whether the impact of relative deprivation on radicalization outcomes is contingent upon several individual differences in personality
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
