In the wake of the Charleston, S.C., church massacre, people are asking what led the alleged shooter, Dylann Roof, into the world of hate, extremism, and violence. People also are asking what role, if any, mental health factors played in Roof’s violent radicalization.
At this point, no clear answers are available regarding Roof’s mental health status, nor are we certain about his specific entry into domestic radicalization and violent extremism. It is hoped that further investigation will provide greater clarity about the influences of Roof’s hateful ideology and violent actions, but this tragedy requires a discussion about the potential overlap between domestic radicalization, violent extremism, and mental health issues.
Dr. Pete Simi
We are currently conducting research funded by the Department of Justice’s research arm, the National Institute of Justice (NIJ), to address this gap in knowledge in an effort to inform prevention and intervention efforts in the area, often referred to as “countering violent extremism,” or CVE.
Several complexities are related to the relationship between mental health and violent extremism, VE, which is defined, in part, as violence motivated by ideological commitments to a political and/or religious cause. In Roof’s case, his violence was quite clearly motivated by a long history of white supremacist ideology that condoned violence, supported hatred, and encouraged extremism. Roof’s actions, therefore, are embedded within a historical context that has traumatized racial/ethnic minorities and other vulnerable populations by individuals aligned, in varying degrees, to a broad cross section of the Ku Klux Klan (KKK), neo-Nazi, Christian Identity, and racist skinhead groups.
Dr. Kathy Blee
Beliefs play a central role in this “world of hate,” where individuals learn about a “white racial genocide,” promoted by a host of “racial enemies” who purportedly control the media, government, and education system. Although these radical ideas are inaccurate, we have to be careful in assuming that collective beliefs such as these that appear delusional, paranoid, and simply “crazy” to an outside observer automatically implicate mental health problems.
More than 50 years of social behavioral research show that even the most “sane” and stable people are susceptible to the pressures of group dynamics and the power of situational forces. In fact, the importance of group dynamics has led many leading scholars who study VE to dismiss the possibility that mental health plays a role in the radicalization process. Instead, these scholars suggest that violent extremists are otherwise well-adjusted people influenced solely by group beliefs and norms that advocate violent tactics to achieve political and/or religious goals. Certainly, this is the case for numerous individuals attracted to VE. Still however, it seems premature to completely discount the role mental health may play in the world of domestic radicalization and violent extremism.
Dr. Matthew DeMichele
Through the NIJ’s funding, we are engaged in a research collaboration with Life After Hate (LAH), a nongovernmental organization founded by former members of domestic radical groups, and the Anti-Defamation League, the Simon Wiesenthal Center, and the Southern Poverty Law Center. This partnership will result in a comprehensive study of the disengagement and deradicalization processes among members of domestic radical groups. As part of the project, we are conducting 50 in-depth life history interviews with former members of such extremist groups as the KKK, neo-Nazis, and racist skinheads. The findings will inform LAH’s efforts to build a robust prevention and intervention program aimed specifically at domestic radical groups.
LAH’s community intervention program, Exit USA, is modeled after similar programs in Europe, the Middle East, and elsewhere. Exit USA will be a bridge to connect individuals seeking to exit domestic radical groups with needed social and behavioral services as they make their way out of domestic radicalization. Heretofore, intervention and prevention strategies, including the recent White House Summit on CVE, have focused almost exclusively on “violent jihadis.” We suggest this emphasis on foreign terrorism has left many of our communities with little support to dissuade membership and dismantle domestic radical group mobilization. Our research will contribute to Exit USA as a first step toward building community supports.
Courtesy Angela King
Frank Meeink (from left), Christian Picciolini, Tony McAleer, and Angela King all transformed their lives and became key organizers of Life After Hate.
As part of the interviews, the research team is examining how exposure to various types of risk factors, including mental health problems, are associated with entry into domestic hate groups as well as how these risk factors might impede or create obstacles to leaving violent extremism. Identifying the presence of risk factors and providing opportunities for individuals to access services that might help mitigate these issues is critical, but we do not assume that any one risk factor or even a distinct combination of certain risk factors cause violent extremism in a straightforward way easily detectable through predictive assessment.