Former Extremists in North American Research

Abstract Although it has become increasingly common for researchers, practitioners, and policymakers to draw from the insights of former extremists to combat violent extremism and terrorism in North America, overlooked in this evolving space has been an in-depth examination of formers’ wider involvement in, and contribution to, the empirical research. This chapter synthesizes the major research trends in North America via the following categories: extremist precursors, radicalization toward extremist violence, leaving violent extremism, and combating violent extremism. This chapter finds that formers have informed understanding of an array of pressing issues in terrorism and extremism studies in North America, but much of this work is in its infancy and requires ongoing analyses, particularly on formers’ role and effectiveness in combating violent extremism and terrorism.