This discussion brings together historical, clinical, and investigative perspectives on the prospect of de-radicalisation or rehabilitation. We grapple with questions of individual responsibility and social identity. Although radicalisation appears to be a commonly accepted term, police and social scientists object to the term “De-Radicalisation,” which is a more clinical term. Ultimately, the question is practical: how do we formulate an informed counterterrorist policy?
Panel Participants:
Dr. Steve Hewitt
Steve Hewitt is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of History at the University of Birmingham in
The United Kingdom. He has written extensively on topics related to modern trends in security and intelligence in a US-UK-Canada context. His books include The British War on Terror: Terrorism and Counterterrorism on the Home Front since 9/11. You can find him on Twitter via @TerrorisingHis1.
Professor Pedro Altungy
Pedro Altungy is currently a research assistant and professor in the Personality, Assessment and Clinical Treatment Department of the Psychology College, in the Universidad Complutense de Madrid. He has contributed to several international papers and in both national and international Congresses. His main field of expertise is in the psychological consequences of terrorism, having psychologically assessed and treated Spanish terrorism victims since 2015.
Detective Superintendent João Paulo Ventura
João Paulo Ventura is a member of the criminal investigation team of the Portuguese Judiciary Police since 1986. He is currently a coordinator at the PJ-National Counterterrorism Unit for intelligence and international cooperation on counterterrorism and against violent extremism.
He has represented Portugal in numerous international fora on counterterrorism (Police Working Group on Terrorism, Europol, Interpol, Terrorism Working Party). During the Portuguese Presidency of the EU Council, he chairs the Terrorism Working Group. He has authored several books on the subject, the latest being "From Ideological Radicalisation to Terrorism: a Digression", published October 2020
