Formers and Families

Ministry of Security and Justice, the Netherlands, University of Utrecht, the Netherlands

Type of Organisation: Governmental institution

• Empirical research was carried out in the Netherlands, Denmark and the UK. Some 30 in-depth case-studies of former extremists (islamist, far-right, far-left) were carried out from a pedagogical perspective, examining the role of the family and the socialisation context.
  • The purpose of the research was to acquire knowledge about the role of parents and the influence of education in processes of radicalisation and de-radicalisation.
  • The investigation was launched because it became clear from practice that links with the parents (especially the mother) are the last to be broken by radicalisation, and the first to be repaired when the process of disengagement is used. The expectation was that parents are closely involved in both processes, and need support.
  • The results are that the family situation has an impact at different stages of radicalisation and de-radicalization processes. Also, parents cannot handle accompanying their child alone, they need support from a ‘pedagogical coalition’ (youth workers, teachers and others accompanying the youngster in this problematic phase of identity development).
  • First-line workers distinguish between different pathways to and of radicalisation, and can offer insight into how the family situation plays a role.

• An awareness video was produced (18 min long version, 7 min short-version; in English, subtitles in English and French) for executives/management within the social domain (education, youth work, youth care).
  • The video targets drivers and decision makers in the youth domain (education, welfare, care, social security) because they play a crucial role in promoting organisational culture within social organisations. It offers advice on discussing issues internally and partnering with external organisations. A video can be viewed at multi-agency meetings, and works better than a paper summary of the research.
  • The video summarises the results of the research, emphasises the importance of establishing an approach in the social youth domain, as well as the importance of collaboration.

Research Report, Awareness Video, Final Conference Report

The video is not available online as it is intended for viewing in a controlled environment.

Contact person: Saskia Tempelman
Email