pre-radicalization

noun

Conversion to or joining a group, such as a religion or social organization, identification with which subsequently leads to extremism.

Meanings

nounpre-radicalization (uncountable)

alternative preradicalization

  1. uncountableConversion to or joining a group, such as a religion or social organization, identification with which subsequently leads to extremism.

    The first step in pre-radicalization touches the rather non-religious, inconspicuous aspirant, who is open to new things.

    2016, Christine Schirrmacher, Thomas K. Johnson, Political Islam: When Faith Turns Out to Be Politics, →ISBN, page 60
    3 more examples

    While the latter type of pre-radicalization is observable in terrorist groups such as the Weathermen or later Weather Underground Organization, for the most part, the current concentration on Islamist or jihadist terrorism clearly favours the former conversion experience based on religion.

    2009, Melissa Dearey, Radicalization: The Life Writings of Political Prisoners, →ISBN, page 38

    Silber and Bhatt (2007) examined individual-level radicalization and developed a model that consisted of a distinct series of steps: pre-radicalization, self-identification, indoctrination, and jihadization.

    2012, Leslie W. Kennedy, Edmund F. McGarrell, Crime and Terrorism Risk: Studies in Criminology and Criminal Justice, →ISBN

    An interesting hypothesis was proposed by Aly and Striegher (2012), who differentiate between a pre-radicalization phase, where religion might offer answers to personal issues, and a radicalization phase, when violent behaviour is triggered by factors of another nature, such as group mechanisms and personal benefits.

    2014, Jocelyne Cesari, The Oxford Handbook of European Islam, →ISBN, page 793

Origin

Cite this entry
APA

pre-radicalization. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pre-radicalization

MLA

“pre-radicalization.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pre-radicalization. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “pre-radicalization,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pre-radicalization.

Source: pre-radicalization on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.