Hanne M Duindam, Jessica J Asscher, Friedrich Lösel
{"title":"Understanding Unrest: Conspiracy Belief and Violent Radicalization Patterns in Young People During the COVID-19 Pandemic in the Netherlands.","authors":"Hanne M Duindam, Jessica J Asscher, Friedrich Lösel","doi":"10.1007/s10610-025-09634-z","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Conspiracy theories threaten Western societies' cohesion and democracy. Yet, little is known about who might be vulnerable to conspiracy-motivated violent radicalization, which is essential for effective prevention. The first aim of this study was to identify profiles of cognitive and behavioral violent radicalization tendencies and COVID-19 conspiracy exposure and belief among a sample of Dutch youth (<i>N</i> = 593, 16 to 26-years-old) drawn during the COVID-19 pandemic. The second aim was to describe the identified profiles based on risk factor presence. Latent-profile analyses identified four profiles. Most individuals belonged to the general population profile (64%) characterized by low levels of cognitive and behavioral violent radicalization, as well as low levels of COVID-19 conspiracy exposure and belief. The experimenters (20%), violent-risk (8%), and conspiracist (7%) profiles displayed higher levels of these constructs. Results revealed that micro- and meso-level risk factors were most pronounced in the violent-risk profile, which exhibited the highest levels of behavioral violent radicalization. For people in the conspiracist profile with higher levels of COVID-19 conspiracy belief, micro-level risk factors, specifically police illegitimacy and perceived personal discrimination were important, demonstrating the importance of fairness and justice during political decision-making. Overall, integrating evidence-based strategies for anti-crime interventions into anti-radicalization efforts may help curb violently radical behavior (Jugl et al., <i>Monatsschrift Fur Kriminologie Und Strafrechtsreform</i>, 1-16. 2021a).</p><p><strong>Supplementary information: </strong>The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10610-025-09634-z.</p>","PeriodicalId":46991,"journal":{"name":"European Journal on Criminal Policy and Research","volume":"32 2","pages":"425-452"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8000,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13279380/pdf/","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"European Journal on Criminal Policy and Research","FirstCategoryId":"90","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10610-025-09634-z","RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"2025/8/21 0:00:00","PubModel":"Epub","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"CRIMINOLOGY & PENOLOGY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Conspiracy theories threaten Western societies' cohesion and democracy. Yet, little is known about who might be vulnerable to conspiracy-motivated violent radicalization, which is essential for effective prevention. The first aim of this study was to identify profiles of cognitive and behavioral violent radicalization tendencies and COVID-19 conspiracy exposure and belief among a sample of Dutch youth (N = 593, 16 to 26-years-old) drawn during the COVID-19 pandemic. The second aim was to describe the identified profiles based on risk factor presence. Latent-profile analyses identified four profiles. Most individuals belonged to the general population profile (64%) characterized by low levels of cognitive and behavioral violent radicalization, as well as low levels of COVID-19 conspiracy exposure and belief. The experimenters (20%), violent-risk (8%), and conspiracist (7%) profiles displayed higher levels of these constructs. Results revealed that micro- and meso-level risk factors were most pronounced in the violent-risk profile, which exhibited the highest levels of behavioral violent radicalization. For people in the conspiracist profile with higher levels of COVID-19 conspiracy belief, micro-level risk factors, specifically police illegitimacy and perceived personal discrimination were important, demonstrating the importance of fairness and justice during political decision-making. Overall, integrating evidence-based strategies for anti-crime interventions into anti-radicalization efforts may help curb violently radical behavior (Jugl et al., Monatsschrift Fur Kriminologie Und Strafrechtsreform, 1-16. 2021a).
Supplementary information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10610-025-09634-z.
期刊介绍：
The European Journal on Criminal Policy and Research is a peer-reviewed criminology journal, with an international and interdisciplinary focus. It welcomes submissions from Europe and well beyond, from different disciplines and traditions, where crime issues are connected to their socio-, psychological and economic contexts. The focus of its peer-reviewed coverage is on understanding crime trends in different geographical and socio-economic contexts, on presenting innovative crime prevention policies and practices, presenting innovative methodologies, and on following legislative and institutional change. The journal aims to strengthen the link between research and policies in the area of crime and justice, and welcomes submissions with a policy-related component.Discussion includes the trade-off between security and rights and ways to optimize the effectiveness of criminal justice systems with respect to human and civil rights. Recognizing that criminal justice systems are not the only method for dealing with crime, the journal also devotes attention to alternative policies and practices.Its four annual issues include one thematic issue and three that are open to various contributions.
求助内容：
应助结果提醒方式：
京公网安备 11010802042870号
