Pathways to violent extremism and risk assessment of terror detainees

Abstract

Introduction

Violent extremism has become an important challenge for forensic professionals in prisons. In Belgium, cities like Brussels and Antwerp saw the rise of recruitment hotspots for violent extremism and foreign fighters. Prisons are well-known places where radicalization occurs. Belgium has the most foreign fighters that left to fight in Syria in Europe. Subsequently, incarcerations of radicalized men and women rose for joining terrorists groups. These events have triggered a need to train psychosocial services in prisons into understanding radicalization and the risk assessment of terror detainees. Mental illness in contrast, is known to be rare amongst violent extremists, and risk assessment as well as advising on reintegration will need specific tools for psychosocial services to advise on reintegration.

Aims

The current presentation aims at showing insight into pathways towards violent extremism and introduce risk assessment of terror detainees.

Methods

We assembled literature on follow-up and pathways that lead to radicalization and even to violence extremism. Radicalization is not new, whether it stems from religious, political or other motives. This resulted in important literature on different trajectories towards radicalization.

Results

We will give an overview of the pathways towards violent extremism (Dean, Moghaddan, Bjorgo) and on risk assessment tools (VERA-2, Pressman)

Conclusions

Radicalization happens stepwise in different ways and leads to different types of violent extremists. Pivotal points follow a cognitive opening in the minds of people that might push and pull people towards radicalization and violence. Cases will be used to describe the different types and pathways.

Disclosure of interest

The author has not supplied his declaration of competing interest.