There is considerable definitional ambiguity surrounding extremism, with terms such as violent political extremism, hateful extremism, terrorism and radicalization used, sometimes interchangeably, even though differences exist. A universal definition of extremism is unlikely – what is considered ‘extreme’ is relative and subjective, dependent on individual attitudes and beliefs.

Despite the complexity and subsequent blurriness in this space, extremist views and actions have generally been characterized as those which sit at the periphery of society and are divisive, intolerant, fanatical, supremacist, anti-democratic and authoritarian in nature. More specifically, ‘violent extremism’ refers to support for or use of violence to achieve a political, religious or ideological goal.

The vulnerability of rural communities to violent extremism

The impact of place upon personal identity and social relations is widely accepted, with its impact on crime and victimization at the core of rural criminology. The unique, place-based socio-cultural and socio-historical contexts of rural communities are of relevance to violent extremism. Location-specific circumstances can impact the viability of a community as a target for extremist recruitment or activity, as well as the degree to which violent extremist activity is supported or rejected by a community (see Puecker et al, 2020 for an example of disparate local responses). For example, if extremist messaging targets an existing grievance within a community, support is more likely, making mobilization easier to achieve.

The economic climate of a given place can impact levels of support for extremism, albeit indirectly. In rural and remote areas there is generally a higher concentration of disadvantage, which can make rural citizens vulnerable to violent extremism. For example, in the African Sahel, unemployment is high, food supply is low and there is poor governance of land and natural resources, which has enabled violent extremism to take hold (see Freudenberger et al, 2019).

Widespread corruption creates high levels of distrust and hostility against the state, which violent extremist groups leverage, particularly targeting disenfranchized youth. Violent extremist groups promise to fulfill the needs of the vulnerable citizen if they will join their cause, which may be an enticing offer for those living in dire circumstances in remote, isolated areas of the globe.