Date of Conferral

2023

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Public Policy and Administration

Advisor

Tamara Mouras

Abstract

After the 9/11 terrorist attacks, research on foreign terrorism became extensive in the United States while research on domestic terrorism and violent extremist radicalization was lacking. Despite the research that has been done, there was a lapse in scholarship analyzing terrorism radicalization and its relationship with criminology. The purpose of this general qualitative study was to analyze the perceptions of experts in terrorism and criminology about how factors of criminology can explain violent extremist radicalization. This study used two conceptual models of terrorism radicalization: (a) the staircase to terrorism and the (b) 4-stage model of the terrorist mindset. In addition, the study employed four social science criminological theories, including (a) social learning theory, (b) social control theory, (c) strain theory, and (d) differential association to gain the perceptions of experts on terrorism and criminology about how criminology is relevant to violent extremist radicalization in Minnesota. Guided interviews with 15 experts in criminology and terrorism, notes from direct observations, journal data, and document analysis were coded and analyzed, which revealed four emergent themes. The results empirically supported and identified de-radicalization initiatives such as community-oriented policing, civil society programs, youth groups, and community-led initiatives among others as a critical step in understanding the importance self-identity and image perception among at-risk individuals. This study contributes to positive social change by highlighting how civil society programs promote resilience and tend to a myriad of social issues found in vulnerable populations in general, not just countering violent extremism.

Download

Share

 
COinS