Radicalizing spaces: Neighbourhood effects on susceptibility to radicalization

This study examines neighbourhood effects and their impact on inhabitants’ susceptibility to radicalization by linking standardized survey data in three German cities to data from government statistics, followed by a multilevel analysis from a total of 145 units. This allows us to control for both local and individual factors with respect to the susceptibility to radicalization. Findings show that an increased level of self-control and income satisfaction have a deterring effect against the susceptibility to radicalization. Digital activities, on the other hand, have a positive effect on susceptibility. Sociostructural characteristics at the neighbourhood level do not show a clear effect on the susceptibility to radicalization, but differences in ‘legal cynicism’ and ‘collective efficacy’ are evident in a varying pattern across the three cities under study. In the city with the highest level of social segregation, legal cynicism had a positive effect and collective efficacy had a mitigating effect on the susceptibility to radicalization. The results show that the local environment should be taken into account when explaining radicalization.

Read the full study