Psychological Assessment and Interventions for Individuals Linked to Radicalization and Lone Wolf Terrorism

Radicalization is a global event affecting different countries and is present in different historical contexts. A social and psychological account could only reduce the impact of terrorism considering a historical fact. Nevertheless, there are elements of radicalization in the dark history of humanity that still today bear consequences on casualties and their progenies. The victims of political extremism, the modern persecution of children in conflict areas, and the mass murders in a zone of interethnic conflicts are examples of how radicalization and terrorism continue to decimate victims worldwide. The knowledge of historical and political aspects interpreted with a psychological lecture can probably highly the seeds of radicalization and hopefully reduce or stop its diffusion.

When radicalization refers to a single individual, it is defined as the lone wolf (LW) phenomenon. A broader perspective reveals that radicalization is an overarching occurrence that affects all aspects of social life, such as family, schools, organizations, countries, and governments. The current study explores how social events in our towns, regions, and countries can deploy to create a terrorist mind and lead to extremist acts. Under favorable circumstances, radicalization can affect any vulnerable mind leading to irreversible and catastrophic actions that could be preventable with a robust analysis of social phenomena.

A radicalization is a worldwide event that impacts multiple nations and is present in various historical contexts. In the study of radicalization of persons who work autonomously from more radicalized communities, psychologists may support it. As there is no unique identity, these single actors or lone wolves are more difficult to spot because they behave as self-determined people. The current chapter's emphasis is on the mechanisms and methods of radicalization in adults, including children and women’s radicalization. In the study of radicalization, there is little probability of direct contact with the target community (terrorists, lone wolves, and radical groups) that is much of the time distant, dangerous, and shielded from media attention. In this instance, the application of ethnographic studies also through Internet outlets has yielded adequate results. Focus is also given to the growth of radicalized ideology and how radicalization can be viewed in terms of the lone wolf terrorist’s cognitive and social progress. The writers often discuss how a radicalized leader can exploit the insecurity of individual citizens to radicalize them. Besides, as a logical fallacy and a symptom of dualistic thinking, the writers researched radicalized thought. Therefore, in their propensity to radicalize, a combination of perceptual, mental, and psychological stimuli is analyzed.

Objectives: The current research uses a phenomenological and socio-psychological approach to understand radicalization and terrorism in the lone wolf and profile its psychological traits.

Methods: A Delphi group of twelve experts in radicalization, selected from psychiatric professions, met regularly to discuss the aspects of the topic and interpret it according to a phenomenological social psychology approach. A mixed-method research approach was used for analysis. The population consisted of service users and patients of a psychiatric service covering a regional area in England with high inter-ethnic and inter-religious conflicts. In the first stage, the panel expressed opinions about the sociopsychiatric aspects of radicalization. A confirmatory sign test computed the panel’s agreement for the significance of the emerging themes.

Results: The phenomenological analysis has captured dominant behaviors, feelings, and attitudes in people at risk of radicalization. At the same time, the sign test expressed the statistical significance: 1) emotions (panel agreement p = n.s.) inclusive of anger and frustration for societal rejection, 2) behaviors (p<0.01) inclusive of change of character, and accessing radicalized web sites, 3) prejudicial thoughts (p = n.s.) such as affiliation to radicalized individuals and acquaintances (p<0.001), 4) weapons fascination and thoughts (p<0.01), and 5) desire of being a hero (p = n.s.)

Conclusions: The current research captured central aspects of radicalization’s social psychology in the lone wolf and the phenomenological aspects indicating a risk of radicalization and a predisposition to conduct terrorist acts.

Radicalization and terrorism are global events affecting different countries and present in diverse historical contexts. A historical account indicates the development of terrorism in human history to shed some light on radicalization. There are elements of radicalization in the dark history of humanity that still today bear consequences on their victims and their progenies. However, at first analysis, terrorist attacks occur unexpectedly. We used a theoretical approach to mathematical and statistical instruments to make a forecast from available data. Delphi groups of psychiatrists, experts in the study of radicalization, met regularly to provide joint predictions about topics of concern presented as case scenarios. The data from peergroup discussions were analyzed for drawing consensus and forecasting radicalization and terrorism. Mathematical prediction models included probability estimates, Kappa statistics, Boolean logics, fractal mathematics, and geometrical progressions. The study supports the hypothesis that with sufficient data analysis and mathematical models, radicalization and terrorism could be prevented using forecasting methods and prompt prevention.

The planet has been the scene of numerous disturbing scenarios of violent acts by radicalized individuals who operate independently without any terrorist organization’s formal affiliation. They are called ‘lone wolves’ or ‘lone actors.’ Experts in mental health will help detect radicalization and deter it by robust assessment of people at risk of radicalization. Also, community mental-health practitioners are privileged to detect the societal signs that indicate a radicalized entourage that might favor potential victims of it, including children. The current Delphi study, inclusive of focus groups, was conducted by psychiatrists familiar with radicalization in different countries and across varied cultures and explained significant aspects of the psychology of radicalization in the lone wolf.

The current chapter focuses on the theoretical aspects of research on radicalization and lone wolf terrorism. The aim is to extract the justification of our research goals and tools and explore what ground we made our assumption of truth about the social phenomenon investigated. Several doctrines of thought are here revisited to frame our observations on radicalization and terrorism. The philosophical, ontological, and epistemological bases of psychological research in radicalization and terrorism are formulated in the current chapter.