Psychology and Deradicalization

Deradicalization is the process of reintegrating radicals back into their community.

A therapeutic approach understands dysfunction as generally the result of an inability to obtain normal goals in a healthy way. This inability may be organic but is more often environmental. When the dysfunction is environmental it most often arises out of an inability to know that an alternative is even possible: it is impossible to know something one has not experienced. Alternatively, it is due to knowing an alternative is possible, but not knowing how to attain the alternative in a healthy manner.

Hierarchy of Needs
Behaviorism

Much of the literature asks if deradicalization is even possible, which seems like a false track. It seems obvious to me that deradicalization is possible, because people are not robots.

Little literature seems to focus on psychotherapy.

Best practices seem to focus on community and family involvement.

http://www.gelfand.umd.edu/KruglanskiGelfand(2014).pdf

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/daniel-koehler/moms-fight-extremism_b_11089836.html

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/arie-kruglanski/drivers-of-deradicalizati_b_6117334.html

http://www.psychologicalscience.org/observer/detainee-deradicalization#.WFKJVBorLIU

http://terrorismanalysts.com/pt/index.php/pot/article/view/128/html

http://www.women-without-borders.org/files/downloads/CAN_MOTHERS_CHALLENGE_EXTREMISM.pdf

http://psy.au.dk/fileadmin/Psykologi/Forskning/Preben_Bertelsen/Avisartikler_radikalisering/Panorama.pdf

https://www.nla.gov.au/sites/default/files/webform/draft_cve_developing_an_evidence-based_for_policy_and_practice.pdf#page=135

https://dspace.royalroads.ca/handle/10170/947

http://www.start.umd.edu/pubs/START_Webber_DeradicalizationofFormerMembersofLTTE.pdf