The life of children in families affiliated with terrorism

An ecological systems theory approach

Bibliographic Data

ID12918672
AuthorsJoana Cook (0000-0002-1351-9552, Leiden University, corresponding author), Lynn Schneider (0009-0006-5844-2882, Leiden University)
Year2024
Volume17
Issue2
Pages275-303
Publication date2024-03-05
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueCritical Studies on Terrorism (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1753-9161 • E-ISSN: 1753-9153
PublisherTaylor & Francis (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/17539153.2024.2322563
OpenAlexW4392516194
LanguageEN
Citations received3
References cited54

Children who grow up in families who are affiliated with violent extremism and terrorism are frequently viewed through a security-oriented lens which focuses on their risk of radicalisation, or the security risk they may pose to society. This security-oriented approach limits a broader understanding of the multiple ways in which a child's life may be impacted when an immediate family member is involved in terrorism. To rectify this, this paper highlights the utility of Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Systems Theory (EST) to systematically identify how this familial affiliation may impact the child's life in diverse ways that extend beyond security-oriented outcomes. We demonstrate that EST is particularly useful because it allows us to systematically and holistically understand how the life of the child is impacted by familial association with a terrorist group in multiple spheres of their life (family, education, peer groups, etc.). We apply this approach to an example of a family who travelled to Syria in 2015 to join ISIS. This article demonstrates the utility of EST for researchers and practitioners to better understand the impact of familial involvement in terrorist groups on children moving away from more security-oriented approaches

Criminology · Political science · Sociology · Terrorism · Health and Conflict Studies · Law · Migration, Health and Trauma · Psychology · Terrorism, Counterterrorism, and Political Violence

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