Disengagement Challenges and Facilitators

Disengagement involves many challenges for the individual trying to leave. They may experience an addiction to the psychological support that they have had, and to the lifestyle, and the power. They may have a loss of support or identity from involvement in the group or community. They may need more family support, which may or may not be available. They may need to address the underlying psychological vulnerability or traumas which led them to join the extremist group or movement.

Prior Existing Experiences

Prior existing experiences with violent youth gangs, demobilized child soldiers, cults, and violent extremists have pointed to several lessons learned about what helps to facilitate exiting. Key factors include: 

• Tangible support
• Individual psychological counseling/treatment
• Supporting cognitive development
• Family support/counseling

Psychological Services

Regarding psychological services, the work with child soldiers and children returned from violent extremist conflict indicates the importance of:

• Life skills
• Vocational training
• Specialized education programs to retain students and help them catch up

The disruption to normal developmental processes brought on by involvement in extremist conflicts mean these youth often move into late adolescence and early adulthood with a number of deficits. The psychological, vocational, and educational services and supports can be critical to helping them catch up to their peers. 

Psychological services integrated into schools are also important. “Education alone cannot solve the problems of former child soldiers. Traumatic experiences often result in symptoms that make it difficult for children to fully benefit from educational and training opportunities.” (Betancourt, 2008, p. 13).

Disengagement Priorities

Priorities include: 

• Maintaining an intact sense of purpose
• Effective control of traumatic memories
• Successful protection against destructive social isolation

Family and Disengagement

Prior research has demonstrated that 79% of loved ones were aware of the ideological commitment of persons acting as lone wolves. In addition, 75% of jihadist radicalization was facilitated by family and friends. From this, it follows that deradicalization may involve changes in the family situation which can induce disengagement. One example is building pro-social ties which support sustained desistance. Another example is the treatment of PTSD, which could lead to an increase in family support.

Families can play a very important role in supporting the changes, so we need to first understand the family situation and then assess how to intervene.

We know from work with persons exiting criminal gangs or cults that positive emotional ties with families and desire for a normal family life is a big motivator.

In some cases radicalization was facilitated by their family, who share those views. So, sometimes it is necessary to put distance between the person and their family. 

In other cases, family tension or conflict may have driven the person out of their family and into a new family in the extremism community. In these scenarios, we might want to ameliorate that family struggle so the family is more welcoming.

Additionally, in some cases, there has been violence or trauma in the family that needs to be addressed so that family interactions can be more supportive and responsive to trauma-related distress.

In other cases, the family is able to be a positive support for disengagement and we might want to further strengthen pro-social ties within the family to be a resource for the person.

Family also plays a critical role in being a reporter to law enforcement or to some other professional helper to warn about an imminent violent attack. 

Think of the case of 18-year-old Jackson Reffitt, whose father, Guy, was in a right-wing militia and told him he was about to “do something really big.” The son said, “I didn’t know what he was going to do, so I just did anything possible just to be on the safe side.” Jackson notified the FBI, who returned his call on January 6th, 2021 as the Capitol riot in Washington D.C. was unfolding.

What Jackson did was brave, but research indicates such actions have been uncommon. As mental health specialists, be sure to listen to family member’s concerns, to assist them in making reports, and to support them in coping with family conflicts.