Adverse childhood experiences and violent extremism: A scoping review of the literature

Résumé fourni par la source

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are stressful and potentially traumatic events that occur during the first two decades of life, with the potential for detrimental effects on development. ACEs are associated with a range of negative outcomes, including various violent behaviors. While there is interest in the relationship between ACEs and violent extremism (VE), it is unclear how systematically this has been studied. We conducted a scoping review of qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods studies to synthesize the literature on ACEs and VE by searching APA PsycINFO, ProQuest Social Science Premium Collection, PubMed, and Scopus up to April 2026. Data extraction and quality appraisal were done following the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT). 847 records were screened. We included 23 studies that consisted of n = 4,946 individuals who supported or engaged in a range of right- and left-wing, Islamist, white supremacist, and other extremist groups. The most common ACEs reported across studies were related to the domain of household dysfunction, followed by maltreatment. VE individuals were observed to have a higher prevalence of ACEs compared to the general population, suggesting that ACEs may play a role in the radicalization process. Further research is needed to explore the complex relationship between ACEs and VE through longitudinal studies, adopting standardized tools and definitions, inclusion of appropriate control groups, and exploration of developmental pathways and causal mechanisms.

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