Leaving the Movement and Life in the Aftermath

The first part of Chapter 9 continues the examination of how the interviewees ultimately decided to separate themselves from the extremist movement. The authors identify the most typical routes of leaving and analyze the role of social support and disengagement programs in navigating this process. The latter part of the chapter explores the lives of the interviewees after leaving the movement, an aspect of the extremists’ journey that until now received sparse research attention. Overall, the authors’ find that upon leaving, the experience of hardships is significantly reduced. But feelings of insignificance skyrocket as former extremists cope with the challenges of cutting ties with their previous social network, search for a new purpose in life, and experience self-condemnation in light of their prior actions as an extremist. Finally, the authors explore the extent to which participating in a systematic disengagement program mitigated the interviewees’ negative experiences.