The Paradox of Hope: A Psychodynamic Approach to Understanding the Motivations of Young People Engaged in Violent Extremism

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ABSTRACT The 21st century began in a burst of political violence that terrified people around the globe. A series of programs designed to counter violent extremism grew up, entangling tens of thousands of children and young people in its web. The philosophy on which these programs were founded, seemed based on a fear driven mindblindness that assumed that even the youngest perpetrators were incorrigible in some fundamental way and thus only the most violent levels of power and control would be sufficient to prevent terror from proliferating. Twenty years later, tens of thousands of children and young people are incarcerated or part of surveillance and suppression programs. However, recent studies indicate such programs serve to fuel rather than prevent violent extremism. Evidence indicates that programs eschewing violence and promoting collaboration, compassion and restorative justice have measurably positive results. This paper outlines a psychoanalytic approach illuminating that evidence. Through the use of three clinical vignettes, the paper offers a psychoanalytic perspective on the motivations of young people convicted of political violence. The paper suggests a way that psychoanalytic, developmental perspectives may contribute to the creation of effective psychosocial programs that harness their idealism and need for agency in the face of terrible violence toward preventing, treating and reintegrating young people affected by violent extremism.