Disillusionment and burnout are the most common reasons former extremists exit groups

Evidence

The most commonly mentioned factor for exiting a group in the RAND interviews were senses of disillusionment and burnout. These feelings were noted in 14 cases (13 white supremacists and one Islamic extremist). Specifically, these cases expressed feelings of disappointment by the former members; hypocrisy or other negative behaviors were cited as reasons for these feelings. — Ryan Andrew Brown, Todd C. Helmus, Rajeev Ramchand, Alina I. Palimaru, Sarah Weilant, Ashley L. Rhoades, and Liisa Hiatt (RAND Corporation), Violent Extremism in America, 45

Categorization

• QUESTION: Hypocrisy by whom triggers the disillusionment? Is it leadership hypocrisy or peer behavior — and does this distinguish deradicalization from mere disengagement?
• XREF: connects to: Financial dependence on extremist organizations delayed members’ exit — Ryan Andrew Brown, Todd C. Helmus, Rajeev Ramchand, Alina I. Palimaru, Sarah Weilant, Ashley L. Rhoades, and Liisa Hiatt (RAND Corporation), Violent Extremism in America:…, 37; Stopping extremism and abandoning its beliefs are distinct forms of exit — Ryan Andrew Brown, Todd C. Helmus, Rajeev Ramchand, Alina I. Palimaru, Sarah Weilant, Ashley L. Rhoades, and Liisa Hiatt (RAND Corporation), Violent Extremism in America:…, 189; Interventions by individual people helped most sampled extremists exit or deradicalize. — Ryan Andrew Brown, Todd C. Helmus, Rajeev Ramchand, Alina I. Palimaru, Sarah Weilant, Ashley L. Rhoades, and Liisa Hiatt (RAND Corporation), Violent Extremism in America:…, 398 (+1 more)

Broader Connections

• Stopping extremism and abandoning its beliefs are distinct forms of exit #qualifies (0.78) — Ryan Andrew Brown, Todd C. Helmus, Rajeev Ramchand, Alina I. Palimaru, Sarah Weilant, Ashley L. Rhoades, and Liisa Hiatt (RAND Corporation), Violent Extremism in America, 189
• Repeated disillusion pushed liberal moderates toward revolutionary extremism #complicates (0.76)
• Interventions by individual people helped most sampled extremists exit or deradicalize. #complicates (0.73) — Ryan Andrew Brown, Todd C. Helmus, Rajeev Ramchand, Alina I. Palimaru, Sarah Weilant, Ashley L. Rhoades, and Liisa Hiatt (RAND Corporation), Violent Extremism in America, 398