The Quiet Power of Families and Friends in Preventing Radicalization

Some of the most powerful interventions happen far from police offices or government programs—around the kitchen table, in a sibling’s bedroom, or during long walks with a trusted friend.

If you are a family member concerned about a loved one, Parents for Peace offers a free, confidential helpline where you can talk with someone in confidence and receive guidance and support. Call 1-844-497-3223 or email help@parents4peace.org. You don’t have to face this alone—reach out today.

A 2024 study by Ellefsen and Sandberg shows that informal, everyday interventions by family members and peers often play the most decisive role in interrupting radicalization. While police interventions had mixed results, family and friends stepped in early, acted out of trust and care, and often changed the trajectory of someone’s life.

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Family: The First Line of Prevention

Families have the unique power to spot changes in behavior, beliefs, or social circles long before authorities get involved. In many cases, parents or relatives prevented loved ones from taking the final steps toward violence by:

• Having serious conversations about consequences.

• Setting boundaries around friends or activities linked to extremist ideas.

• Reminding young people of their responsibilities at home—to their parents, spouses, or children.

• Intervening from a place of love and care, which made their message far more credible.

One participant in the study recalled that what stopped him from leaving for Syria was a simple plea from his mother: “She said she needed me here.” That bond of obligation, rooted in love, outweighed the pull of extremist narratives.

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Friends and Peers: Everyday Influencers

If families are anchors, peers are mirrors. During adolescence and early adulthood—when young people may pull away from parental authority—friends often become the most trusted voices.

Peers in the study intervened by:

• Challenging extremist ideas directly: urging critical thinking, asking questions, offering alternative interpretations.

• Providing counter-narratives: pointing friends toward religious scholars or credible sources that debunk extremist ideology.

• Refusing to isolate radicalizing peers: choosing instead to stay close, offer support, and pull them back into normal social life.

  
  

One young woman described her relentless efforts to talk her friend out of extremist thinking: “For more than one year, I constantly talked to her. I cannot see [my] sister go into that trap.”

This persistence, born of loyalty, often made the difference between someone slipping deeper into extremism or turning back.

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Everyday Prevention

What makes family and peer interventions so effective is that they happen as part of everyday life. Unlike police questioning or state monitoring—which can sometimes increase feelings of isolation—interventions rooted in trust and belonging reinforce connection rather than erode it.

Ellefsen and Sandberg call this “everyday prevention”: the quiet, consistent influence of loved ones who can spot changes, ask questions, and keep doors open. It’s not about surveillance or punishment. It’s about care, responsibility, and being present.

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Why This Matters

Preventing violent extremism isn’t only the job of governments or NGOs. Families and friends—often without training, funding, or recognition—are already on the front lines. They see the signs first, and they have the credibility to step in early.

The lesson is clear: if we want to build resilience against extremism, we need to empower families and communities, not just rely on formal security interventions. By valuing and supporting these everyday acts of prevention, society can create stronger buffers against hate and violence.

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Reference: Ellefsen, R., & Sandberg, S. (2024). Everyday Prevention of Radicalization: The Impacts of Family, Peer, and Police Intervention. Studies in Conflict & Terrorism, 47(10), 1342–1365. https://doi.org/10.1080/1057610X.2022.2037185