TY - JOUR
T1 - Parents’ Perspectives on Radicalization
T2 - A Qualitative Study
AU - Sikkens, Elga
AU - van San, Marion
AU - Sieckelinck, Stijn
AU - de Winter, Micha
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2018, The Author(s).
Copyright:
Copyright 2018 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
PY - 2018/7/1
Y1 - 2018/7/1
N2 - Radicalization of young people might be influenced by the way parents react towards the development of political or religious ideals. However, these reactions have hardly been explored. This study aimed to discover how parents reacted to the development of extreme ideals, and why they responded in the way that they did. To gain knowledge about the influence of parents on adolescents who developed extreme ideals, 82 in-depth interviews were held with adolescents and young adults who held extreme ideals. Interviews were also held with the parents or siblings of each adolescent and young adult. In line with parenting style theory, it was found that parents react in four possible ways: (1) by rejecting, (2) applauding, (3) ignoring, or (4) discussing the (extreme) ideals of their children. Few parents discuss ideals and values with their child, and this paper tries to show why (e.g., powerlessness, disassociation, occupation with other problems, believing it to be a phase that will pass, or that their reaction would not help). Most parents struggle to cope with radicalization and do not know how to react. Support and control are potentially important tools for parents to use to combat the development of extreme ideology.
AB - Radicalization of young people might be influenced by the way parents react towards the development of political or religious ideals. However, these reactions have hardly been explored. This study aimed to discover how parents reacted to the development of extreme ideals, and why they responded in the way that they did. To gain knowledge about the influence of parents on adolescents who developed extreme ideals, 82 in-depth interviews were held with adolescents and young adults who held extreme ideals. Interviews were also held with the parents or siblings of each adolescent and young adult. In line with parenting style theory, it was found that parents react in four possible ways: (1) by rejecting, (2) applauding, (3) ignoring, or (4) discussing the (extreme) ideals of their children. Few parents discuss ideals and values with their child, and this paper tries to show why (e.g., powerlessness, disassociation, occupation with other problems, believing it to be a phase that will pass, or that their reaction would not help). Most parents struggle to cope with radicalization and do not know how to react. Support and control are potentially important tools for parents to use to combat the development of extreme ideology.
KW - Adolescent development
KW - Ideology
KW - Parenting
KW - Parenting style
KW - Radicalization
KW - Upbringing
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85043708916&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/s10826-018-1048-x
DO - 10.1007/s10826-018-1048-x
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85043708916
VL - 27
SP - 2276
EP - 2284
JO - Journal of Child and Family Studies
JF - Journal of Child and Family Studies
SN - 1573-2843
IS - 7
ER -