Journal for Deradicalization

The Resilience of Radicalism: Strategies for reducing dissonance and sustaining extremist attitudes

Jonatan Kurzwelly — Fri, 27 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This article provides an empirically-backed account of the diverse ways radicalised individuals respond to experiences of dissonance. It investigates why certain dissonance-inducing experiences—such as counter-ideological evidence or positive intergroup contact—trigger disengagement in some individuals while leaving others unaffected. Drawing on in-depth interviews with former extremists, this study identifies specific dissonance characteristics and resolution strategies employed by radicalised individuals that facilitate such a ‘resilience of radicalism’. Understanding these mechanisms can inform the design of targeted interventions to inhibit defensive and reinforcing coping strategies and better leverage the potential for inducing cognitive dissonance as a catalyst for attitudinal change.

Acknowledgement:

This work was supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation), under grant number: 528853785.

Mainstream Symbols and Misogynistic Extremism: Cultural Narratives and the Challenge of Deradicalizing Incel Ideology

Jessica Sciarone — Fri, 27 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Incel ideology is increasingly cited as a driver of misogynistic violence, yet its cultural foundations and implications for deradicalization remain insufficiently studied. This study analyzes incel discourse on incels.is and shows how symbols, myths, and nostalgic narratives drawn from mainstream culture shape and normalize gendered grievances. Incel rhetoric does not construct a separate ideology but adapts familiar cultural narratives that frame women as possessing disproportionate social and sexual power. This reliance on widely circulated narratives contributes to radicalization pathways by presenting misogynistic claims as culturally legible, rather than extremist. In turn, it complicates deradicalization because interventions cannot be directed only at fringe beliefs, instead, they must confront misogynistic narratives that are not confined to extremist spaces and that circulate through ordinary cultural repertoires. This article argues that effective responses require attention to these broader contexts that enable misogynistic grievance to move between mainstream and extremist settings.

Organizational Approaches to Incel Deradicalization: A Systematic Review

Katherine Reid, Christopher J. Collins, Zohra Tasci — Fri, 27 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The involuntary celibate (incel) movement represents a growing domestic extremist threat characterized by misogynistic ideology and decentralized online radicalization. Despite numerous deradicalization programs addressing Islamist and far-right extremism, specialized frameworks targeting incel ideology remain largely absent. This systematic review employed the PICO framework to examine existing literature on incel intervention strategies, identifying organizational approaches and clinical responses. After screening 2,139 studies across 11 databases, only four studies met inclusion criteria, representing exploratory efforts and clinical observations rather than established program evaluations. Three critical themes emerged: barriers to intervention (including fragmented service coordination, unclear policies, and institutional limitations); changes in clinical approaches (requiring specialized engagement, digital literacy, and ideological expertise); and professional requirements (emphasizing interdisciplinary training and nuanced risk assessment). The scarcity of literature reflects not merely an understudied domain, but a fundamental absence of formalized deradicalization programs specifically designed for incel extremism, leaving practitioners without evidence-based frameworks. Findings emphasize the need for multi-level interventions addressing both ideological and psychological factors through upstream prevention, specialized clinical training, psychosocial support, and community engagement. Effective responses require distinguishing between individuals holding incel beliefs and those who have undergone radicalization, necessitating tailored approaches across the Social Ecological Model's micro (individual), meso (organizational), and macro (policy) levels. This research provides a foundation for developing evidence-based programs that address the unique challenges of online radicalization while accounting for the spectrum of incel identity and engagement.

Research Method Note: Measuring and Evaluating P/CVE Initiatives with Respect to Human Rights and the Roles of Women

Michael J. Williams — Fri, 27 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The United Nations Global Counter Terrorism Strategy, adopted by the General Assembly, established respect for human rights and the rule of law as one of its four pillars: a fundamental basis for the fight against terrorism. Although large investments currently are made in a broad range of localized P/CVE programs, there has not been a commensurately large amount of empirically reliable evidence about them. This (mal)practice should change, given that this prospective body of knowledge is instrumental toward designing future prevention policies and programs: including whether/how to upscale localized projects and programs. Additionally, policies that affect women and girls, including policies ostensibly to benefit them, often lack substantial input, if not leadership, from the women and girls that said policies will affect. A gender-responsive approach to P/CVE is congruent with the UN PVE Plan of Action that promotes a wide range of actions, including: human rights and the rule of law, engaging communities, gender equality and empowering women. Social science methods, and associated evaluation research methods, have been designed to facilitate these objectives. The present work offers techniques and concrete recommendations for measurement and evaluation, to support those objectives: before, during, and after data collection.