The Deradicalization of Children and Youth in the Post-ISIS Era

: Deconstructing the Radical Identity

Abstract

Existing studies on ISIS-affiliated children and youth deradicalization remain limited. In particular, the role of social identity construction, deconstruction, and community dimensions have attracted limited attention in existing studies on ISIS children and youth deradicalization in Syria and Iraq. Guided by the research question on to what extent can communities contribute to the deradicalization of children and youth in Syria and Iraq? This thesis contributes to closing this gap by exploring the deradicalization of children and youth in Syria and Iraq with a perspective grounded in three dimensions: 1) a social identity considering that people are essentially social beings and yearn to belong, 2) a constructivist-based approach claiming that we all have the capacity to learn and deconstruct previous learned ideas and attitudes toward ourselves and others and 3) a community-based approach central to deradicalization programs because people desire to connect. The combination of the above dimensions is in line with substantial evidence that shows radicalized children and youth can only commit violent acts if they feel approved by their communities' social, cultural, and political conditions.
The thesis explores how social identity can contribute to children and youth radicalization, how the deconstruction of radicalization narratives can lead to the construction of new social identity, and how communities are central to the deradicalization of children and youth who lived under ISIS control. The thesis adopts a mixed methods approach, combining interviews and data with community members, policymakers, NGOs, and community and religious leaders. The results demonstrated that feelings of exclusion, marginalization, and lack of belonging served as a nursery of radicalization. The results also established that community, cultural and religious core values, such as forgiveness, can significantly influence children and youth deradicalization programmes. Importantly, results showed that the role modelling of respected religious and community leaders is central to successful deradicalization of children and youth

Date of Award	2023
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	Aberystwyth University
Supervisor	Anwen Elias (Supervisor) & Jeff Bridoux (Supervisor)