Youth Deradicalization. Strengthening the Bonds between Jordanian Youth

Bachelor Thesis from the year 2016 in the subject Sociology - Law, Delinquency, Abnormal Behavior, grade: A, Washington College, language: English, abstract: Rogue terrorist groups around the world, such as the likes of Da'ish (ISIS), have been hijacking the name of Islam in their rhetoric, relying on grievances in their efforts to recruit more people. Such groups commit ferocious atrocities against Muslims and non-Muslims alike, as a means of achieving their goals, including establishing an Islamic State or a Caliphate. When taking a closer look at similar groups, we find two trends closely related. First, the youth in the age category of 15-24 make a sizeable portion of their recruits. The second trend is that they employ certain mechanisms aimed specifically at recruiting more youth. Such methods include mastering technology and employing its means to attract the youth in the aforementioned age category. Youth radicalization generally occurs when a young disenfranchised person is approached by recruiters. Youth deradicalization, in response, is best explained as a bilateral process: offsetting recruitment methods and improving the conditions that result in youth receptiveness to radicalization. The combination of the two, I hypothesize, will not only reduce the number of youth recruits - particularly Jordanian youth recruits -, but it will also contribute to youth and national development. I argue that it is important to strengthen the youths' bonds with society, as strong bonds deter recruits. I highlight the importance of decreasing the cost of marriage to offset the issue of sexual deprivation. I focus on the importance of raising awareness and enhancing mental health facilities.