Vulnerable Online: Identifying Risk Profiles for Recruitment into Online Extremist Groups

This study draws from the literature in group processes and intergroup relations, metacognition, motivational processes, and criminology to identify risk factors for joining an extremist group, classifies individuals into risk profiles, and examines how the risk profiles moderate efforts at recruitment into such groups. The results of a latent profile analysis ( N = 721) demonstrated the existence of three risk profiles (i.e., low, moderate, and high), and an experiment demonstrated that those in the low- and moderate-risk profile were significantly less likely to identify with a violent online political group compared to non-violent online political groups whereas those in the high-risk group were equally likely to identify with a violent or non-violent political online group. By taking a broader perspective, this study provides a more comprehensive understanding of individual susceptibility to being drawn into a violent online extremist group and has important implications for those seeking to combat online radicalization.