Can people truly walk away from terrorism? Inside the slow work of rehabilitation

Svetlana Evgrafova/Getty As we reflect on 25 years since the 9/11 terrorist attacks that killed almost 3,000 people, terrorism remains an ongoing yet evolving threat that defies easy answers.

“Once a terrorist, always a terrorist” is a familiar refrain.

It reflects a common belief that all terrorist offenders are the same and rehabilitation programs simply don’t work.

A growing body of evidence tells a different story, suggesting some people genuinely can – and do – leave terrorism behind.

Our research looked at Australia’s longest-running program addressing the rehabilitation of those engaged in offending motivated by Salafi jihadism .

We found some participants don’t only stop offending, they also go on to build the skills and strengths to lead meaningful lives in line with their own values and interests.

No single path into or out of terrorism The process that leads someone to get involved in terrorism is almost never down to just one cause or motivation.

Instead, terrorist behaviour comes from a complex mix of factors, and how much each one matters differs from person to person.

Take ideology, for example, the set of political, religious or social beliefs a person or group uses to justify violence.

This plays a role in most people’s journeys into terrorism, but it cannot fully explain their behaviour or choices on its own.

Ideology usually works together with other factors, especially relationships and the way a person’s social identity is formed.

For many people, becoming involved in terrorism is a way of meeting needs that aren’t being met elsewhere in their lives, such as a sense of belonging, purpose or significance.

Rebuilding a sense of identity This matters a lot for how we think about people leaving terrorism behind.

It means walking away from terrorist offending is far more complicated than simply quitting a group or a cause.