Implications of Research on Traumatic Stress for Countering Violent Extremism

There is no single known reason why people become violent extremists. Forthcoming findings from a START project funded through the National Institute of Justice, Profiles of Individual Radicalization in the United States, describe the multifaceted phenomenon of radicalization by examining over 1500 cases across ideologies and time. Each case is unique, depending on personal circumstances and the larger environment.

However, in determining possible entry points for interventions, there are some recurring factors associated with a significant percentage of individuals who carried out, or attempted to carry out acts of violent extremism. These findings, in turn have direct implications for community-based practices responding to violent extremism.