Evidence of the Radicalization Process Through Court Rulings of Jihadist Terrorism Crimes: A Psychosocial Multitheory Approach.

Objective: Open-source documents are a valuable asset to study radicalization processes. While previous research has focused on descriptive or behavioral accounts, often lacking theoretical integration, this study adopts a multitheory approach combining the devoted actor model and the 3N model of radicalization. Our aim was to identify the key psychosocial mechanisms and behaviors involved in jihadist radicalization and how they interrelate. Method: We examined all Spanish court rulings involving jihadist terrorism cases from 1990 to 2022 (N = 687) and analyzed the cases of individuals sentenced to prison (n = 211) using content analysis and network analysis. Results: Four first-order categories were identified: intergroup conflict narrative, religious narrative, network, and intentions and behaviors. The analysis revealed the complex nature of jihadist radicalization, with all psychosocial and behavioral components strongly interconnected. The results highlight the relevant role of violence-justifying, sacralizing and absolutist narratives, identity fusion-related mechanisms, and engagement with radical propaganda in the jihadist radicalization process. In addition, the connection between radical propaganda and violence-justifying narratives emerged as the strongest within the network. Conclusions: Our findings emphasize the importance and interconnection between behaviors and psychosocial processes, especially network and narrative components, as central aspects of the radicalization process. Moreover, this research entails practical implications for risk assessment and intervention strategies, offering evidence-based indicators to inform prevention efforts in the context of jihadist terrorism.