Points de vue d’anciens extrémistes

Studies in Conflict & Terrorism

Par Ryan Scrivens, Vivek Venkatesh, Maxime Bérubé, Tiana Gaudette

Combattre l’extrémisme violent : les voix d’anciens extrémistes de droite

Bien que les chercheurs, les praticiens et les décideurs politiques aient de plus en plus tendance à s’inspirer des idées d’anciens extrémistes pour lutter contre l’extrémisme violent, cet espace en évolution manque d’une étude approfondie sur la perception de ces derniers face à ces efforts. Afin de combler cette lacune, des entretiens ont été menés avec 10 anciens extrémistes de droite canadiens, à partir d’une série de questions fournies par 30 responsables de l’application de la loi au Canada et 10 militants communautaires. Dans l’ensemble, ceux-ci suggèrent que la lutte contre l’extrémisme violent nécessite une réponse multidimensionnelle en forme de soutien provenant des parents et des familles, des enseignants et des éducateurs, des responsables de l’application de la loi et d’autres anciens extrémistes crédibles.

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Perspectives on Terrorism

par Maxime Bérubé, Ryan Scrivens, Vivek Venkatesh, et Tiana Gaudette

In recent years, research on pathways in and out of violent extremism has grown at a staggering rate. Yet much of what is known about these oftentimes “mysterious” processes does not necessarily shed light on the specific aspects of right-wing extremism, and especially not from a Canadian perspective. In an effort to bridge this gap, we use a life-course criminology approach to draw from the voices of former extremists to gain insights into their respective trajectories in and out of violent extremism. A total of 10 life course interviews were conducted with former Canadian members of violent right-wing extremist groups. Analyses of these data suggest that even if there is no single trajectory in and out of violent extremism, there are still converging patterns such as the attraction for common pull factors and a profound dedication to the right-wing cause. Our analyses also demonstrate that the emotional toll of leaving the movement is often characterized by exhaustion, isolation and regrets. 

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Terrorism and Political Violence

by  Tiana Gaudette, Ryan Scrivens, and Vivek Venkatesh

While a growing body of evidence suggests that the Internet is a key facilitator of violent extremism, research in this area has rarely incorporated former extremists’ experiences with the Internet when they were involved in violent extremism. To address this gap, in-depth interviews were conducted with ten Canadian former right-wing extremists who were involved in violent racist skinhead groups, with interview questions provided by thirty Canadian law enforcement officials and ten community activists. Participants were asked about their use of the Internet and the connection between their on- and offline worlds during their involvement in the violent right-wing extremist movement. Overall, our study findings highlight the interplay between the Internet and violent extremism as well as the interactions between the on- and offline worlds of violent extremists. We conclude with a discussion of study limitations and avenues for future research.

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