„… alle Jugendlichen suchen ja in der Pubertät den Sinn des Lebens“ – Radikalisierungsprozesse aus Perspektive von Fachkräften der Präventionspraxis

Based on 25 semi-structured interviews with professionals in prevention of Islamist radicalization, this paper explores various perspectives on radicalization processes. The central focus is on identifying the prevailing narratives and assumptions regarding these processes within the field of action. The analysis is conducted using a heuristic framework based on the synthesis of common models of radicalization processes. The results reveal four predominant types of the professionals, each emphasizing different aspects. In the first type, radicalization is perceived as a staged process that begins with an identifiable trigger or turning point, leading to an intensive engagement with radical ideologies. The second type views radicalization processes as youth-specific orientations, suggesting that young individuals generally exhibit a heightened susceptibility to radical narratives. The third type highlights the significance of the social environment and negative reactions to religious quest for meaning in radicalization processes. In the fourth type, radicalization is primarily seen as recruitment by established radical scenes that deliberately seek new members through positioning themselves as representatives of Muslims and exploiting societal debates. These findings demonstrate that professionals hold differing perspectives on radicalization processes. These perspectives influence discourses about the phenomenon and imply potentially different approaches to prevention.