In the flood of research that followed the 9/11 attacks, radicalization quickly became the latest holy grail of national security research. Discussions range from attempts to understand what communities can do to stem its flow to what the neurobiological correlates of radicalization might be. Other questions more broadly include: What causes it? How can we measure it, model it, anticipate it and eventually stop it? Is radicalization the same thing as terrorism? It often seems so, given how synonymously these terms are used. And policymakers and practitioners wrestle with such questions as: How do we deal with radicalization without making matters worse? Should we think about 'counter-' radicalization, 'anti-' radicalization or, heaven forbid, 'de-' radicalization?
Publication Information
Horgan, John. 2012. "The End of Radicalization?." National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (September): www.start.umd.edu/news/discussion-point-end-radicalization