While extremism and radicalization follow many predictable patterns, there are countless variations among extremist movements. Understanding the unique characteristics of different extremist ideologies helps us spot them and then intervene effectively. PERIL and SPLC will continue to expand its work to offer detailed, targeted information about these different tendencies.
Male Supremacist Extremism & Gender-Based Violence
Male supremacist extremism positions all women as inferior to men. Adherents desire a society in which men are economically, socially, and politically dominant, a hierarchy maintained in part by entitlement to and control over women’s domestic and sexual labor. Male supremacist extremism is responsible for several high profile acts of mass violence, but it is closely connected to all types of misogynistic violence.
Elections & Moments of National Stress
Extremists exploit times of national crisis and stress to further destabilize society, drive recruitment, spread propaganda, and justify their violent actions. Moments of national stress are crucial times to be on the lookout for risks of radicalization in youth.
Migration, Conflict, & Ecological Crisis
The stress of the coming decades—economic, political, and environmental—will continue to provide a fertile ground for extremist movements to emerge. Understanding how these “mega-trends” will affect our communities in the future is crucial.
Acknowledgments: Emily Pressman, PERIL Research Assistant; Isaiah Washington, PERIL Research Assistant; Lydia Bates, SPLC Senior Research Analyst; Wyatt Russell, PERIL Project Manager; Daisy Gebbia-Richards, PERIL Research Assistant; Brian Hughes, PERIL Associate Director; Cynthia Miller-Idriss, PERIL Director
Illustration by Claudia Whitaker
