Chiang 1

Andrea Chiang

B. W. Mulvey

Geography 8

2 June 2024

Psychosocial Vulnerabilities and foreign ISIS recruits

The deadliest terrorist attack in Europe since 2004, took place at the Crocus City Hall

in Moscow and was conducted by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, otherwise known as

ISIS. (Brucker 1) ISIS is a muslim caliphate located in Southwest Asia, occupying areas in

Syria and Iraq, and attempts to achieve their goals by kidnappings, suicide bombings,

military-style assaults, and targeted killings. With a big demand for soldiers, ISIS’s main

recruitment methods are through prisons and social media. Increasing amounts of

psychosocial vulnerabilities are the cause of the increasing amount of foreign ISIS

recruitments nowadays.

ISIS recruitment methods are effective due to the environmental influences on

recruits’ mental situation. Harsh conditions in prison such as electrocution, violence, and

other mistreatments leave prisoners in a fragile state of mind. Making it easy for prisoners to

be easily lied to by ISIS recruitment teams promising a better life and conditions once they

join. ISIS has lots of powerful groups occupying and controlling prisons in Egypt, with

guards giving valuable information on which prisoners are most vulnerable and easier to

recruit. (Dooley 1) On social media, trending hashtags and high activity profiles dedicated to

ISIS propaganda and recruitment have been increasing. Former ISIS leader Abu Bakr Al-

Baghdadi explained his methods of recruitment on social media in 2014 by stating, “I appeal

to the youths…around the globe and invoke them to mobilize and join us to consolidate the

pillar of the state of Islam and wage jihad” (Awan 138)

 Chiang 2

Social situations that become psycho-social vulnerabilities serve as motivations to

join ISIS. “Drug and alcohol abuse…often contributed to foreigners’ feelings of jahiliyyah

(the Islamic view of sinful ignorance) causing them to revert or convert to Islam…making

them susceptible to charismatic recruiters promising them a new life defined by honor and

purity.” (Speckhard and Ellenberg 16) Unemployment leaves a loose tie with their home

country and tends to lead the recruit into associating their own country with negative

emotions, making it easier for ISIS to recruit. ISIS's propaganda mostly involves

exaggeration of the greatness of the Islamic world, so lots of recruits will find joining people

with similar situations and kindling a life of cleanliness appealing. Poverty for foreigners

makes them more likely to be appealed to ISIS propaganda. Since most propaganda

exaggerates the muslim world, making it look easier to gain money and escape the horrible

conditions they are experiencing.

Prior trauma and PTSD influences foreign ISIS recruits’ decision making processes.

When an individual experiences trauma such as domestic violence, child abuse, or neglect,

they tend to be more vulnerable to other’s orders and commands. The Milgram experiment

demonstrates that people obey either out of fear or out of a desire to appear cooperative.

(Allyson 294) Foreigners with previous trauma experiences will be more likely to obey the

orders from ISIS recruiters because of a weak mental state increasing the already fear of the

terrorist in sight. Making them more likely to agree to join the caliphate.

The phenomenon of increasing foreign ISIS recruits are mainly due to the increasing

amount of psycho-social factors. Weak vulnerable psycho-social conditions caused by

environmental and social factors are main reasons why foreign ISIS recruits are increasing.

Criminal histories, poverty, and unemployment make foreigners hungry for a better life ISIS

promises. Prison conditions allow foreigners to be so desperate to the recruits of ISIS

members. And trauma serves as a factor making people more easily swayed to join ISIS.
 Chiang 2

Works Cited

Awan, Imran. “Cyber-Extremism: Isis and the Power of Social Media.” Society, vol.

54, no. 2, 15 Mar. 2017, pp. 138–149, link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12115-017-

0114-0, https://doi.org/10.1007/s12115-017-0114-0. Accessed 30 May 2024.

Brucker, Katherine. “Technical Difficulties.” Osce.usmission.gov, 11 Apr. 2024,

osce.usmission.gov/on-the-terrorist-attack-at-the-crocus-city-hall-in-moscow/.

Accessed 30 May 2024.

Dooley, Brian. “How ISIS Recruits in Egyptian Prisons.” Human Rights First, 26

Feb. 2019, humanrightsfirst.org/library/how-isis-recruits-in-egyptian-prisons/.

Speckhard, Anne, and Molly Ellenberg. “ISIS in Their Own Words: Recruitment

History, Motivations for Joining, Travel, Experiences in ISIS, and Disillusionment

over Time – Analysis of 220 In-Depth Interviews of ISIS Returnees, Defectors and

Prisoners.” Journal of Strategic Security, vol. 13, no. 1, Apr. 2020, pp. 82–127,

https://doi.org/10.5038/1944-0472.13.1.1791. Accessed 26 May 2024.

Weseley, Allyson J. Barron’s Ap Psychology. S.L., Barrons Test Prep, 2022.