Social Bonds, Social Learning, and Violent Extremism: A Criminological Study of Radical Crime

Abstract: This project aimed to test Social Bond Theory and Social Learning perspectives on radical crime. This was done in order to fill a research gap in criminology by studying radical crime, and gaps in radicalization research, by examining the differences between violent and non-violent radicals and using a quantitative approaching. The central research question was “How do social bonds and social learning influence the likelihood of violent radical crime in the United States?” 2148 radical criminals from the Profiles of Individuals Radicalized in the United States (PIRUS) dataset were analyzed using a logistic regression, wherein violence was the dependent variable, and the independent variables corresponded to aspects of social bonds and social learning. The results indicate that Social Bond Theory has little predictive value for violence among radical criminals, and what predictive value it has may be explained by neutralization and other theories, excepting a marginally significant positive effect of marital status on the likelihood of violence. Social learning perspectives were somewhat more predictive, with radical peers having a significant positive effect on the likelihood of radical violence. SES, ideology and criminal history had significant positive effects as well. We conclude by exploring theoretical explanations and further research implications of our results.