Desistance narratives of radicalized youths involved with terrorist groups

Terrorist attacks in several European countries have led to increased interest in understanding deradicalization and disengagement as a way to increase the effectiveness of future interventions. Desistance has been less studied, even though it provides an interesting frame of reference. We analyzed the desistance narratives of three young people who, after having been convicted of acts of terrorism, now see themselves as having abandoned radicalism and pro-terrorist affiliations and were able to identify the elements and interventions they felt supported their desistance, disengagement, and de-radicalization. These features are consistent with those that form the basis of assisted desistance.