Disengagement From Religious Extremist Groups: Identity Change and Group Disidentification

ABSTRACT

This research examines the process of identity change and disidentification in disengagement from violent extremism. The paper draws on interviews with 38 former male terrorists from an Islamist background in Indonesia. The results reveal that disidentification among our sample was initiated by the re‐evaluation of past involvement in extremism, triggered by emotional distress due to family separation and the adversity of prison life. Following re‐evaluation, participants began to experience disillusionment and an increased sense of incongruity with the group ideal. This led to emotional and physical detachment from the group and a reorientation of individual identity around family responsibilities and civic values and the formation of non‐extremist religious beliefs. This study enhances understanding of the role that disidentification and identity change play in disengagement from violent extremism. Implications include the need for strategies that address the psychological requirement for stable, pro‐social identities after leaving an extremist group, which helps reduce reoffending risk and ensures sustainable community reintegration.