Radicalisation Across the Community and Forensic Units: A Systematic Literature Review on the Psychology of Violent Extremism

Abstract

Over the past years, research has fostered a deeper understanding of radicalisation, with scholars agreeing that a universal psycho-social pathway towards extremist violence can be assumed (Borum, 2012; Sageman, 2008), determined by a variety of factors (King & Taylor, 2011). However, the literature relating to preventing and countering violent extremism (P/CVE) often relates to the psychological escalation of individuals only within the community. Little is known about radicalisation in secure forensic settings like prisons or forensic hospitals, leading authors like Mulcahy et al. (2013) to frame prisons as so-called “breeding grounds for terrorists” (Mulcahy et al., 2013, p. 4). Adding to the challenges in these settings is the fact that risk factors relevant to extremist violence appear to overlap considerably with risk factors for general violence (e.g., Dhumad et al., 2020). Nevertheless, more recently Silke et al. (2021) reviewed 29 publications from 2017 onwards and found that prisons can serve as a disruption to the pathway, in fact aiding rehabilitation efforts. With tentative insight into the wider rehabilitation system (Christmann, 2012; Feddes & Gallucci, 2015), empirical evidence becomes arguably more inconclusive when exploring radicalisation in forensic hospitals. This is due to the unclear role of mental health issues and protective factors in the development of violent extremism (e.g., Gill & Corner, 2017).