Inheriting Hatred? A Systematic Review of the Intergenerational Transmission of Extremist Ideologies

Scholars and policy makers across the world have expressed their concerns about children growing up in extremist households. It is feared that these children might eventually take on their parents' ideas - thus becoming the next generation of extremists. In reality, much is still unknown about the degree to which extremist ideologies are in fact intergenerationally transmitted, as well as the mechanisms and factors associated with these processes. This study is the first to systematically synthesize findings on the transmission of extremist ideologies from parent to child. Based on 53 (mostly qualitative) studies, we found that the intergenerational transmission of right-wing extremist, jihadist and ethnonationalist beliefs does occur, although methodological differences inhibited a meta-analysis. According to our review, transmission takes place through discursive, socio-spatial, temporal, moral-educational and symbolic mechanisms. Risk factors associated with transmission include parental experiences of victimization and oppression; financial concerns; the presence of extremist siblings; and conventional gender role patterns within the family. Protective factors include children's engagement in prosocial hobbies and relations outside the family sphere; age; and cognitive and critical thinking skills. Interestingly, both negative family relations (e.g., abuse, neglect) and warm or loving family relations seem to enable intergenerational transmission processes - suggesting that extremist ideologies can be transmitted in households of all parenting styles.