Why People Radicalize: How Unfairness Judgments Are Used to Fuel Radical Beliefs, Extremist Behaviors, and Terrorism

In Why People Radicalize, Kees van den Bos argues that if we want to truly understand radicalization and prevent, attenuate, and fight violent extremism and terrorism, we must pay attention to what is driving the radicalization process. This implies that we should systematically analyze how radicalizing persons interpret the world. For example, perceptions that certain situations are fundamentally unfair and hence need to be changed are among the core issues that drive Muslim, right-wing, and left-wing radicalization. Furthermore, experiences and perceptions of unfairness and injustice can tempt those who struggle with self-control to break the law and engage in violent extremist and terrorist behavior. Why People Radicalize is among the first attempts to provide a systematic, integrative, and in-depth analysis of the psychology of unfairness judgments and the ways these judgments impact on various radicalization processes. Discussing several conceptual and practical implications that follow from this line of reasoning, the book emphasizes the role of careful scientific thought and the notion of taking individuals seriously, as judgments of unfairness are not merely perceptions. They feel genuine to the persons forming the judgments. This volume discusses in detail how these radicalization processes can develop and what components are of pivotal relevance in these processes. Accessible for scientists, professionals, and practitioners, the book explains how uncertainty and insufficient self-corrections influence this process. Finally, the book delineates future research issues on radicalization, extremism, and terrorism and applies the analysis to appropriate legal contexts, making the book relevant for policy and decision makers, among others.

About the Author :
Kees van den Bos, Professor of Social Psychology and Empirical Legal Science at Utrecht University, researches fairness in order to develop basic scientific insights needed for the understanding of major societal problems. He has advised the Dutch government and the National Coordinator for Security and Counterterrorism on why people engage in radical behavior, extremism, and terrorism.

Review :
"This study is a great contribution to the field, as it offers a very sharp and distinctive focus to the restive debate on radicalization, deradicalization and terrorism. With his emphasis on experiences of injustice, Van den Bos takes the radicalized subject and his/her discourse and motivations seriously. This is a welcome addition to the highly fragmented and specialized debate. The style and the argument of this book are very elegant and convincing." --Beatrice de Graaf, Chair of History of International Relations and Global Governance, Utrecht University "This book is an exhaustive and scholarly account of the psychology of radicalization and destructive extremism. A tour de force--engagingly written and accessible to all who want to understand the why, how and what can be done about this terrible global blight." --Michael Hogg, Professor of Social Psychology, Claremont Graduate University "Kees van den Bos offers the most comprehensive to date discussion of radicalization, its psychological and realistic determinants, and its multiple facets. This volume is a must read for all those working in the domain of violent extremism. A truly important accomplishment." --Arie Kruglanski, Distinguished University Professor of Psychology, University of Maryland "Why People Radicalize is a masterful analysis of how fundamental social psychological processes cause people to adopt radical beliefs and engage in radical actions. For anyone who wants to understand the psychological forces that threaten the fabric of modern societies this book is a must read!" --Allan Lind, James L. Vincent Distinguished Professor of Leadership at the Fuqua School of Business, Duke University "There is surely no more central question in the 21st century than why people radicalize and become willing to engage in violence toward innocent people. In this timely book, Kees van den Bos identifies perceived unfairness as central to radicalization. He makes his case through a thorough and wide-ranging examination of theory, empirical research and real world case studies. Anyone who wants to understand why radicalism develops and how to combat it needs to read this book." --Tom Tyler, Macklin Fleming Professor of Law and Professor of Psychology, Yale University "Succeeds splendidly in identifying what we can learn from the very large cluster of theoretical and empirical studies that seek to comprehend radicalisation as an escalation process. Van den Bos has earned his stripes as a social justice researcher and consciously uses that route into understanding radicalisation." -- Inside Story