Ideas about traditional masculinity are becoming more prominent in groups promoting violent extremism. While race remains central to violent extremism, forms of masculinity that center on control, dominance, and discipline have become equally influential. Gender and race work side by side to reinforce rigid hierarchies and offer a sense of order, identity, and purpose.

Judith Eichenbaum developed this training in response to the changing clinical picture that practitioners face when working with adolescent and adult men who are in treatment for harmful behaviors. She explains how many of the online spaces are key to developments in violent extremist trajectories. She outlines the ways in which extremist groups use memes, aesthetics, and emotionally charged content to promote a stylized version of masculinity as tough, loyal, in control, and supposedly under threat. Emotional connection, belonging, and shared frustration develop first. That emotional groundwork makes more extreme content easier to accept over time. Increasingly entrenched ideology often develops later.

Ms. Eichenbaum further explains how recruitment is also changing. It’s no longer just about persuasion. Instead, it’s relational and takes time. Adolescents and young adults facing instability, isolation, or chaos are targeted early, often without realizing what they’re being drawn into. The process often resembles grooming, with trust built first and ideological obligations coming later.

This shift has serious implications for how radicalization processes are understood and addressed by professionals. When recruitment is driven by emotion, identity, and belonging (and not simply belief systems), then prevention efforts need to respond to how masculinity is shaped and weaponized online. It’s not just about countering ideas, but challenging the emotional and cultural pull that makes those ideas appealing in the first place.

Ms. Eichenbaum explores how understanding traditional masculinity’s role in extremist spaces is key to seeing where violent extremism is heading—and why it remains so effective in pulling people in.

Interactive Follow-Up Meeting

Attendees are invited to join an open discussion 15 minutes following the end of the training, where you can engage with fellow attendees by turning on your camera and microphone. This is an opportunity to share your experiences and contribute to a meaningful exchange of ideas. Time will be allocated to address questions or insights from the training. Please note that attendance is optional and will not affect your eligibility for a training certificate.