Violent Radicalization and Terrorist Recruitment in Somali Americans

Investigator:

Stevan M. Weine

The project seeks to address the problem of violent radicalization and terrorist recruitment amongst members of a specific Muslim diaspora community in the United States. It focuses on Somali Americans in Minnesota and the roles of risk and protective processes at different levels (individual, family, sociocultural, and structural) that impact violent radicalization and recruitment. The Specific Aims of this study are to: 1) Examine Somali American young adult males, family members, and service providers, so as to characterize the potentially modifiable multilevel risk and protective factors that impact radicalization and recruitment; 2) Engage community advocates (parents, community advocates, providers, and policymakers) so as to develop socially and culturally appropriate strategies for preventing violent radicalization and terrorist recruitment.

This research is supported by the DHS Science and Technology Directorate’s Human Factors/Behavioral Sciences Division.

top