CSS Solved Criminology Past Paper 2024 | Radicalization, Factors and Remedies
Question Breakdown
Three main things are asked in this question by the examiner: the definition of radicalization, the factors causing it, and ways through which societies can address the factors influencing radicalization among individuals. The question demands a detailed explanation of the concept of radicalization and its causes as well as remedies. Therefore, the aspirants can score well by giving a detailed scholarly definition and explaining the process. Furthermore, the causes leading to radicalization and the remedial measures adopted by the society should also be discussed. The quality of the answer can also be accentuated by including relevant quotations, examples, flow charts diagrams.
Outline
1-Introduction
2-Definition of Radicalization
3-Factors Leading to Radicalization among Individuals in Pakistan
- ✓Psychological Factors
- ✓Religious and Ideological Factors
- ✓Social Factors
- ✓Economic Factors
- ✓Political Factors
4-Remedial Measures that can be adopted by the Societies to Address the Factors Influencing Radicalization
- ✓Spreading Awareness among the Masses through Education
- ✓Increasing Economic Opportunities for Youth in Pakistan
- ✓Ensuring Political Participation from all Strata of the Society
5-Critical Analysis
6-Conclusion
Answer to the Question
Introduction
The process of embracing extreme attitudes and mindsets about a certain social, political or religious problem that might lead to violence or aggressive behavior, is known as radicalization. It is caused by various socio-economic and political factors among individuals. Young people are the most vulnerable to this process. John Burton delineates in his Human Needs Theory that people become frustrated and practice aggression as well as violence when their fundamental needs, like identity, security political representation, are not secured. Deprivation from these human essentials often serves as the foremost cause of destructive behaviors and aggressive mindsets among individuals. The basic needs of individuals should be guaranteed in order to prevent and minimize radicalized behaviours and extremism in Pakistani society.
Definition of Radicalization
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) defines radicalization as
“A process through which an individual adopts an increasingly extremist set of beliefs and aspirations. This may include, but is not defined by, the willingness to condone, support, facilitate or use violence to further political, ideological, religious or other goals.”
In the process of radicalization, one’s behaviors and mindsets are transformed into negative and extremist ones due to certain socio-economic causes or a preconceived set of notions. People tend to adopt extremist notions due to certain political aims or after being swayed by specific religious doctrines. Usually, such mindsets result in violent actions. Nonetheless, the process of radicalization varies according to the context and individuals.
Factors Leading to Radicalization among Individuals in Pakistan
Due to diverse psychological, religious, ideological, social, economic as well as political factors, extremist sets of beliefs might be inculcated among individuals that result in radicalization of those individuals. According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), radicalization can result in the commitment and association of individuals towards militant groups and proliferation of terrorist activities.
Psychological Factors
The Neo-classical or Psychological School of Crime delineates that individuals often adopt radical or extremist beliefs because of some psychological disorders like schizophrenia, bipolar disorder obsessional thoughts, etc. Furthermore, young people who feel alienated from society develop a sense of affinity while becoming a part of militant groups. According to Dawn newspaper, 43 people were killed in Safoora Goth carnage in 2015 when fire was opened on a bus by a group of armed men, including Saad Aziz. The bus carried the members of the Ismaili community. Saad Aziz – a BBA graduate – has been involved in various terrorist activities. The post-arrest investigations unveiled that Aziz is suffering from psychological issues, including alienation from his community.
Religious and Ideological Factors
Furthermore, the leaders of terrorist groups who use religion for mobilizing people misinterpret the religious scriptures for instance, Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) selected a specific part of a verse of Surah Taubah and mobilized people by spreading the wrong message without considering and explaining the context. According to the Psycho-Cultural Narrative Theory by Carl Jung, extremist groups play with the psyche of the people by using religion and identity in order to further their political motives. For instance, in the tribal areas of Pakistan, Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) built the narrative that they are waging Jihad against the West and the State who have threatened the ‘Pashtun Nang’ (Pashtun honour) and culture of Pashtuns.
Social Factors
Moreover, when young people or juveniles lack a sense of affection and do not feel compassion from their parents or families, they tend to adopt extremist mindsets. Despite this, lack of attention from family, disputes among family members, particularly parents, divorce of parents and rejection by parents or peer groups lead to radicalization of youth. According to the article titled “Drug Trafficking Among Juveniles in Lahore: An Analysis of Socioeconomic Factors” by H. Raza, Bilal Khan – a 16-year-old boy – was arrested for drug trafficking because he wanted to earn money and was tired of disputes among his parents. According to the Social Bonds Theory by Travis Hirchi explained in “Causes of Juvenile Delinquency”
“Everyone has got the potential to commit crime. We are all animals and have the capacity to commit crime as a part of nature.”
The theory explains how the weakness of certain social bonds causes radicalization or criminal activities. Those four social bonds are attachment to parents and peers, commitment to future goals, involvement in social activities, and belief in honesty and the rule of law.
Economic Factors
Next, Robert Tedd Gurr, in his Relative Deprivation Theory, explains that when an individual or a group feels deprived in comparison to the relatively privileged group, one becomes frustrated, and this might lead to extremist ideas and violent actions. Marginalization, poverty, job insecurity, maltreatment and deprivation from basic needs of survival lead to perceived injustice as well as relative deprivation among individuals. For example, terrorism is prevalent in Pakistan because people are vulnerable and radicalized by militant groups easily because their basic needs are not fulfilled.
Political Factors
Last but not least, according to Piers Robinson and Noam Chomsky’s school of thought, the consent of ignorant and less knowledgeable people is easily manufactured. Similarly, the militant groups radicalize the ignorant and uneducated youth of Pakistan by manufacturing their consent regarding oppression by the government, lack of political participation and freedom, and the perception of injustice. Extremist groups exploit the grievances of individuals, recruit them into their groups and provide them with wealth as well as social status. As an illustration, in the Balochistan province of Pakistan, people are radicalized because there is a sense of deprivation among the populace in various socio-economic and political arenas of life.
Remedial Measures that can be adopted by the Societies to Address the Factors Influencing Radicalization
Due to minimal knowledge of people regarding political matters, the militant groups are able to sway the mindsets of people with less effort. For example, amid the Swat Conflict, Mullah Fazlullah mobilized the women through radio by using religion, and people believed whatever he said because they had negligible knowledge and understanding of Islamic teachings; therefore, women gave their jewellery to Mullah Fazlullah and sent their sons to fight in the name of Allah. Ensuring education and maximizing economic opportunities for people is crucial for mitigating radicalization.
Spreading Awareness among the Masses through Education
The Article 25 of the 1973 Constitution of Pakistan guarantees education for all citizens of Pakistan and delineates it as the fundamental right of people but still millions of children are out of school in the country. One of the primary causes of radicalization in Pakistan is lack of education and awareness; therefore, spreading awareness among the people is paramount for mitigating extremism within the country.
Increasing Economic Opportunities for Youth in Pakistan
In order to minimize radicalization in Pakistan, maximizing economic opportunities for people is paramount, particularly for the unprivileged strata of the society. The youth of the country are the most vulnerable and are recruited by terrorist groups because they are fascinated by the wealth, power and social status associated with terrorist activities. Individuals who were deprived of fundamental needs in the tribal areas of the country envisioned that their social status was improved while being associated with militant organizations due to the possession of weapons and wealth.
Ensuring Political Participation from all Strata of the Society
In addition, governments ought to deal with the grievances of impoverished communities to minimize radicalization. People become frustrated and aggressive when they are deprived of their fundamental need for political representation; therefore, issues of governance and structural causes of radicalization should be addressed.
Critical Analysis
Radicalization is a process in which individuals adopt an extreme set of notions and, sometimes, engage in violent activities in order to attain certain political or economic objectives. According to the Strain Theory by Robert Merton, individuals become radicalized when they envision a lack of connection between goals and means defined by society, thus causing frustration and aggression among them. In spite of this, youth internalize extremist behaviours when they interact with militant groups or are exposed to extremist propaganda.
In other words, they learn radical notions through interaction and socialization as delineated in Social Learning Theory. Robust measures and a multifaceted approach may be adopted by the government in order to address the causes of radicalization like alienation, identity crisis, political marginalization, economic deprivation, etc.
Conclusion
To cap it all, radicalization refers to extremist mindsets of individuals, which may be due to certain personal, socio-economic and political reasons. Radicalization prevails in society when particular issues remain unaddressed for a longer period of time, and people become frustrated due to a sense of deprivation as well as a lack of fulfilment of basic needs. In spite of this, lack of education is also one of the prominent causes of radicalization within society because it instils intolerance and extremism amongst the populace. Hence, robust measures ought to be taken to educate the masses, mitigate marginalization and maximize political participation so that radicalization can be curtailed in society.
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