Resilience to Right-Wing and Islamist Extremism: A Survey Experiment on Recognizing and Responding to Signs of Radicalization in Germany

Resilience plays a pivotal role in shielding individuals from radical influences and addressing the root causes of radicalization. To effectively address radicalization, individuals must possess the ability to recognize its signs and respond appropriately to suspected cases. This study assesses individuals’ capacity to identify signs of radicalization into right-wing and Islamist extremism, as well as their preferred modes of reaction using a large-scale pre-registered survey experiment in Germany. Results indicate that while respondents perceive and problematize signs of radicalization similarly for both forms of extremism, they express a greater need for action regarding Islamist extremism and are more likely to turn to formal measures, such as involving the police. Moreover, subgroup analyses reveal that, compared to non-Muslim respondents, Muslim respondents tend to problematize Islamist radicalization less, whereas left-leaning respondents tend to problematize both forms of exptremism more than right-leaning respondents. These findings hold practical implications for policymakers and social workers engaged in preventing and countering violent extremism.