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Abstract

Over 550 Western women have relocated to Syria and Iraq to join Islamic terrorist groups, highlighting the group's unprecedented success in attracting women and young girls to join their activities and ideologies. This research investigated the expanding landscape of social media, particularly focusing on the vulnerabilities of young women which can cause them to become more susceptible to being radicalised into Islamic terrorist groups. As social media becomes more prevalent and accessible, it’s increasingly seen as a potential driver of radicalisation, owing to Islamic terrorist groups being able to craft their propaganda to exploit gender related vulnerabilities in terrorist recruitment strategies. By investigating these gender specifics and exploring the significance of social media within the radicalisation of young girls, this literature review unmasks these members of Islamic terrorist groups utilising social media to strategically radicalise and recruit young girls. There is limited research on the radicalisation of women and young girls within terrorism, hence the purpose of this study. This research used thematic analysis to identify key themes to gain a deeper understanding of this phenomenon and provide insights into prevention strategies tailored to preventing further radicalisation of young girls. The key themes identified include young girls' desire for independence, purpose, belonging, marriage and identity conflicts. These themes underscore the use of social media by Islamic terrorist groups as a strategic tool in their radicalisation efforts, as they incorporate these themes into their online propaganda.

Course: Criminology and Criminal Justice - BSc - UP586PYC

Date Deposited: 2024-11-11

URI/permalink: https://library.port.ac.uk/dissert/dis14507.html