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Published on: September 28, 2018
Identity Diffusion and Extremist Attitudes in Adolescence
Anna Isenhardt1,2, Maria Kamenowski3, Patrik Manzoni3
1Criminological Research Institute of Lower Saxony, Hanover, Germany.
Abstract:
Various theoretical approaches assume that identity diffusion is an influencing factor of extremism. However, there are hardly any empirical tests on this relationship. Based on a nationwide survey of 8,317 young people in Switzerland, the study analyses whether identity diffusion is associated with right-wing extremist, left-wing extremist, and Islamist extremist attitudes. In addition, the study tests whether identity diffusion mediates the influence of family and school-related variables on extremist attitudes. The results show that identity diffusion primarily increases approval of left-wing extremist and Islamist extremist attitudes. Furthermore, identity diffusion mediates to a small extent the influence of parenting on extremist attitudes.
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