Psychological Determinants and Social Influences of Violent Extremism

Abstract

Terrorism, be it the type inspired by neo-Nazi ideology or that espoused by Daesh, is a spectre that is on the rise in the world. There are multiple factors, including "political pathways", that contribute to this vitriolic phenomenon. Several studies have shown that fringe actor terrorists often have mental illness. Moreover, Islamophobia is associated with psychological distress; this can render disaffected Muslim youth impressionable and vulnerable to being recruited by destructive cult and terrorist organizations. Mental health professionals need to be aware of the social influences and psychological determinants of violent extremism and the unethical techniques that cult and terrorist organizations use to recruit people to join their ranks. Although reputable organizations such as the American Psychiatric Association and the American Psychological Association recognize that mind control is a criterion for other specified dissociative disorder in DSM-5, many mental health practitioners are not aware of this. This chapter provides a brief discussion on terrorism in the west. It then focuses on the unethical psychological techniques that cult organizations like Daesh use on their members, namely, undue influence and mind control. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved)