Family environment supporting radicalization as a mediator in the process of radicalization of adolescents (dataset)

The family is traditionally perceived as an important factor in the field of radicalization among adolescents, similarly to other pathological phenomena in this target group. If the family professes pathological values but is functioning and the relationships in it are good, adolescents may uncritically accept the opinions of parents and relatives, which may influence their direction towards radicalization. The article brings new knowledge about the role played by the family environment supporting radicalization in families in the process of radicalization of adolescents, where protective factors such as positive relations between adolescents and parents and effective spending of free time with parents are identified.

Two mediating models of radicalization were presented in the study, including personal and general values and beliefs in the field of radicalization. The factor Support for radicalization, reflecting the radical environment in the family, acted as a mediator in the model. Independent variables were family factors Free time, CANs, Trust, Norms, Positive relations with parents. In the area of radicalization of personal value, the influence of children's trust towards their parents in a negative direction was shown to be statistically significant. In the field of general values, all investigated independent variables gained significance in a positive direction (except for CAN). When accounting for the mediating effect of a radical family environment, effects in every single variable increased for the factor of general values and beliefs (vs. personal values). For the field of helping professions, this may indicate that, despite the family environment that supports radicalization, there is room for influencing adolescents at the level of personal values and beliefs.