- Mienna Niemi, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare: Complex interventions and multisectoral collaboration addressing street violence, gangs, and violent youth radicalization
- Lynn Schneider, ICCT & Beatrice Eriksson, Repatriate the Children, Sweden: The long-term development and needs of ISIS-affiliated child returnees in Sweden and Denmark
- Anders Lundesgaard, RVTS Region North & Elisabeth Harnes, RVTS Region West: From childhood adverse experience and collective trauma to violent extremism
- Marko Juntunen, University of Helsinki: Alternative narratives and countering violent extremism: Reflections on Post-Isis Iraq
Abstracts
Complex interventions and multisectoral collaboration addressing street violence, gangs, and violent youth radicalization
Anneli Portman & Minna Niemi, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL)
The prevention of gang and street violence requires interventions that transcend administrative and professional boundaries, given the complexity of the root causes of these phenomena. To ensure this, five intervention packages will be implemented in Finland between 2024 and 2026, under the leadership of the Finnish Government and the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL). The focus is on special care and health promotion for young people, prevention of radicalization, street and gang violence among young people, and the strengthening of young people’s inclusion in society.
The aim of the first intervention packages is to increase the possibilities of children and youth in need to receive effective support before problems accumulate (primary prevention). The other intervention packages aim to prevent the persistence of problems of a permanent nature for children and young people in long-term difficult situations (secondary and tertiary prevention).
These – mainly locally implemented – intervention packages will be coordinated, and their impact evaluated in a nationally coherent way. In this presentation, we look more closely into the contents of the intervention packages and present the structure and actors of the implementation plan.
The long-term development and needs of ISIS-affiliated child returnees in Sweden and Denmark
Lynn Schneider, ICCT, Beatrice Eriksson, Natascha Rée Mikkelsen & Knud Foldschack, Repatriate the Children
The children of individuals who travelled to live under ISIS in Syria were exposed to varying levels of violence and ideological indoctrination when they lived in the so-called caliphate, but also in detention camps. In the past, some minors have been exploited and trained by ISIS, which has resulted in misconceptions and the fear that all children pose security risks. It also fostered reluctance in governments across the world to take on the responsibility to return them to their home countries. While some countries have not repatriated any of their children, Sweden and Norway so far have taken back a total of 18 mothers and 41 children. Despite the common assumption that they require radicalisation interventions, their needs are primarily related to physical and mental health, and social integration. However, there is currently a lack of research available on their development upon repatriation. Such research is highly important in order to develop evidence-based practices and services to ensure their reintegration and wellbeing. Drawing on qualitative interviews with guardians, family members and experts working with child returnees in Sweden and Norway, we will present findings on these children’s development upon repatriation and on their long-term needs, and will discuss successful practices and interventions.
From childhood adverse experience and collective trauma to violent extremism: Implications for prevention
Anders Lundesgaard, RVTS Region North & Elisabeth Harnes, RVTS Region West
In recent years psychological factors have increasingly received attention as a push factor for violent extremism (Gill, 2017). The aim of this presentation is to investigate how psychological factors, stemming from traumatic experiences in childhood, may act as precursors on a developmental path towards violent extremism. We will also discuss the impact of collective trauma.
In addition to early trauma, the model includes influence of family socialization throughout childhood. We will also discuss the link between extremism and mental health. We argue that affiliation to extremist groups and or ideologies contribute as a protective psychological factor by providing a sense of belonging, agency and purpose for a common cause.
Finally, we will conclude by focusing on how a trauma-informed approach may be relevant for prevention strategies and for informing practitioners from various fields working with youth and adults at risk.
Alternative narratives and countering violent extremism: Reflections on post-Isis Iraq
Marko Juntunen, University of Helsinki
Commercial mainstream media in several conflict areas in the MENA region are actively involved in the discussion about violent extremist organisations and the human suffering they cause. For example, in Iraq and Syria, numerous commercial TV channels have broadcast several seasons of programmes focusing on the life stories of those convicted of terrorism and their criminal histories (see Juntunen 2022, 16–17). Although their apparent purpose is to discredit violent extremist narratives and diminish the appeal of such organisations, these efforts are fraught with ethical problems and run the risk of perpetuating a cycle of resentment and revenge, as it will be explored in this paper. As I will argue, the information deployed in these endeavours inadvertently boosts “the resilience of commitment” on the part of followers, and in turn entrenches violent Islamist extremist narratives.
In this vein, the paper looks at the case of post-ISIS Iraq, examining how ISIS constructed its narratives to bolster its agenda, and how the mainstream commercial media in Iraq treated those convicted of terrorism who committed brutal violence within the ranks of ISIS. The paper concludes with the argument that unless the states instabilized by violent extremism in the MENA region can provide viable alternatives and visions of a better future, the resilience of the narratives propagated by violent Islamist extremist groups will continue to be a force to be reckoned with for years to come.
While the paper primarily focuses on media environments, it is crucial to underscore that the importance of face-to-face interactions and social networks cannot be overlooked in contemporary recruitment efforts for terrorist purposes. In the conflict contexts, such as Iraq, young people join operational environments of violent extremism as a result of the pathways opened by older relatives and their recruitment efforts. The marginalisation of certain population groups, and the brutal violence, imprisonment and torture experienced by relatives and family members, often draws young people to participate in extremist movements (Al-Hashimi 2020; Al-Hashimi 2015; Juntunen 2022, 23). Rather than a process of radicalisation, the life courses of such young people consist of constantly recurring traumatic experiences and a gradually intensifying revenge mentality (cf. Rezhna & Neuner 2022).