The Siracusa International Institute for Criminal Justice and Human Rights, in collaboration with the CRTG Working Group, is excited to announce the launch of the project “Mafia-Jihad: An Intersectional Study on Youth Trajectories and Innovative Models for Security Policies Aimed at Preventing and Countering Terrorism and Radicalization”.
In a world where terrorism is taking new forms, where more and more minors are being drawn into extremist violence, and where families are increasingly involved in the radicalisation process, it has become crucial to address and to tackle these dynamics.
This project investigates the influence of family nuclei on the radicalization of youth, drawing connections between the methods used by organized crime families and those employed by terrorist organizations such as ISIS and al-Qaeda. Similar to how criminal behaviors are transmitted across generations within mafia families, extremist groups utilize familial relationships to disseminate violent ideologies. Leveraging Italy’s expertise in combating mafia networks, this initiative seeks to disrupt cycles of violence and enhance global counterterrorism efforts.
Moreover, this project will also serve as a compass to help policymakers navigate the complex, interconnected challenges of countering terrorism, guiding them to align national policy responses with the scale and nature of radicalisation and applying strategies used in fighting organized crime.
