As the Australian Government brings forth legislation to detain high risk individuals indefinitely, I take a look at how our efforts in preventing and countering violent extremism (CVE) need to shift.
In the coming weeks Info Ops HQ will be publishing a report on my 18-month open source investigation into Australian foreign fighters and domestic actors. I’ve been taking a deep dive into every open-source available detail of over 160 individuals looking for the reasons why they chose a path of violence and terror.
What is it that makes a person join a terrorist organisation?
Why do they feel compelled to commit acts of terror against their fellow Australians here at home or join a war abroad?
As I reflect on the research I began in February 2015, I can’t help but pause to consider 18 months on that I’ve started down a path that in all probability may have no ending.
Maybe radicalisation is more addiction than volunteerism.
Maybe — just like other addictions — the confluence of social conditioning together with the company you keep and personal circumstances lead you down a path of seeking temporary respite from whatever it is you’re running from. It need not be drugs or alcohol — people can become addicted to technology, toxic relationships, to sex, exercise or food. Why not extremism?
Why radical belief might be like addiction
Extremism - and particularly the terrorist and violent extremist content that often goes long with it - might have addictive qualities for some people.
What we know about addiction
According to Psychology Today:
“Addiction is a condition that results when a person ingests a substance or engages in an activity that can be pleasurable but the continued use/act of which becomes compulsive and interferes with ordinary life... The focus on the addiction isn’t what matters; it’s the need to take action under certain kinds of stress.”
Science tells us addiction is a complex web of genetics, reward pathways, timing, and circumstances (Genetic Science Learning Center).
Applying a PCVE lens:
At-risk individuals often become compulsively obsessed with their extreme beliefs during radicalisation, to the point where they disconnect from society and relationships. Yet many others in similar environments do not take this path. Why?
These are expressions of addictive behaviours.
Radicalisation features emotional dependence on the “conduit” — whether that’s a person or online influencer - and TVEC can become the gateway drug to violence.
What can we learn from how psychologists approach addiction
In The Sober Truth, Lance Dodes explains why most addiction treatments fail:
- Treating it as a moral or spiritual problem
- Educating addicts about the dangers
- Assuming lack of motivation is the issue
- Relying solely on cognitive therapy
In the PCVE context, extremist recruiters exploit these societal flaws, offering recruits a sense of control and empowerment, based on the shared grievances they incubate. Their messaging resonates because it mimics familiar cultural and spiritual values but twists them for malicious purposes.
Dodes expands on this in his other works, The Heart of Addiction and Breaking Addiction, explaining how addictive behaviour is driven by a feeling of powerlessness. The act of engaging in the addiction creates a feeling of control.
Radicalised individuals harness their grievances towards action in a similar fashion.
Add well-designed messaging and community validation (through social media or real-world networks), and it’s easy to see why terrorist groups are effective. Their recruits become addicted to a sense of purpose, identity, and belonging. And they receive in-group rewards for doing so.
When they don't comply with that in-group or they opt-out of that eco chamber, their withdrawal can be intense.
Add in the neuropsychology of adrenaline, dopamine and cortisol, and we can understand why the cycle is so hard to break.
The addictive qualities of TVEC and radicalisation need further research.
While the notion of addiction in this context is often met with resistance from scholars and healthcare professionals, its an area that requires more study.
Can PCVE learn from the treatment of addiction to deter and disengage people?
It's worth exploring.