Does Ideology Influence Behavioral Radicalization Patterns? Comparing Right-Wing and Salafi-Jihadist Individuals

Abstract

Research on radicalization outcomes has advanced our understanding of why some radicalized individuals engage in terrorist violence while others do not. Yet, this work has rarely examined whether such predictors differ across ideological contexts. This study addresses that gap by disaggregating correlates of radicalization outcomes for Salafi-Jihadist and right-wing extremists. Drawing on the (Non-)Involvement in Terrorist Violence (NITV) dataset (N = 206), we test whether 39 previously identified predictors of (non-)involvement in terrorist violence vary according to ideology. Only three demonstrate statistically significant differences: perceptions of state use of excessive force, perceptions of extremist groups or movements calling for terrorism, and self-control. This suggests that the variables most likely to predict violent or non-violent radicalization outcomes are largely similar across the two ideological contexts. Consequently, interventions developed to prevent terrorism within one ideological context, such as Salafi-Jihadism, may also be effective in addressing similar threats arising from other extremist movements.