Parental Reactions towards Radicalization in Young People

Abstract

Radicalization is often studied from a security perspective, but this paper focuses on the topic from a parenting perspective. The aim of the study is to discover how parents respond to the development of extreme ideals. Using 56 in-depth interviews with youngsters and parents of youngster who have strong or extreme ideals, the parental responses towards these ideals are explored. Subsequently, the responses were categorized according to two dimensions (control and support). This study shows how families, when confronted with radicalization, experience significant turmoil and shift to less demanding responses due to feelings of powerlessness, dissociation, and parental uncertainty.