If you ever wondered about whether people in hate groups have trauma in their past, you need look no further for proof of this than by reading Christian Picciolini’s book Breaking Hate.  It is a wide-ranging exploration of how those in domestic and international terror groups either have trauma going into these movements, or they have them while in these groups, or both.  It also discusses how people get out of these groups, which is similar to recovery from addictions.

How Trauma and Hate are Connected

It’s said repeatedly in the book that no one is born hating others.  This is a learned experience.  If this is the case, then trauma is perhaps the cement that keeps the lesson in place.  Plenty of people suffer from childhood trauma, but obviously not everybody goes on to be a white nationalist or Islamic terrorist who is traumatized at that age.  There are other experiences Picciolini calls ‘potholes,’ that can be either traumatic or just plain old setbacks, like being a ‘latchkey kid’ whose parents have to work all the time and weren’t home for you much of the day or night.  These experiences, either the trauma or the potholes (or some combination of the two), can predispose people to being radicalized by hate groups and to joining their ranks.  If your parent has racist attitudes they impress on you, that could help to turn you towards these groups.  If not, it could be an ad for such a group embedded in an online depression inventory you happen to click on that starts the descent.  

Going Down the Rabbit-Hole of Trauma and Hate

Once the descent has started, it tends to be self-reinforcing.  Picciolini talks about 3 elements that hate groups provide their recruits that all of them are seeking:  Identify, Community, and Purpose (ICP as he calls it).  He himself was once a white supremacist and talks very eloquently about how he was drawn into the movement because of how he lacked a sense of each of these three, as well as his own combination of ‘potholes.’  Many of those drawn in already have a predisposition to some form of mental illness or disorder, but once drawn in go down a road that will involve trauma as part of the process.  So trauma is laid on trauma, more potholes on top of already existing potholes, and things basically get worse from there.  Either the member commits hate crimes or is a victim of more abuse, or both.  This reminds me so much of the cycle of addiction, they can be seen through much the same lens.

What Gets People Out of the Trauma and Hate Cycle

If someone cares enough about the person caught in the cycle of trauma and hate, that can be enough to get the ball rolling.  It can be as simple as a store cashier saying “You’re better than that” to a parent who goes across the country to track down you and your abductor with the help of law enforcement, that can help bring you out of the nightmare that is reinforcing the original nightmare of lack of ICP.   Finding ways to help people develop healthy versions of identity, community, and purpose becomes the focus going forward.  This is a lot like how people with addictions go to treatment and start working a recovery program for substance use disorder or behavioral addictions.  There are also relapses that happen along the way, but there is definitely a way out because of Picciolini’s organization Free Radicals, which he helped establish.  Now, perhaps more than ever, we have elements in our world that can lead people astray into the dark path of radicalization.  Fortunately, the way out exists and is populated with caring souls who illuminate the path in some astounding ways, such as by facilitating interactions between victims of hate crimes and perpetrators, for example.

What I Can Do To Help with Hate and Trauma

While I’m not a specialist at de-radicalizing individuals who’ve been in hate groups, I do help people recover from trauma.  I’ve been doing this for over 10 years now and have several ways of helping people overcome the potholes of their lives to find identity, community, and purpose that helps make life worth living.  If you need help filling your potholes or in treating your traumatic experiences, no matter how large or small, I encourage you to reach out to me if you live in the Central Texas area.  You can call me at the number above, or fill out the form at the bottom of the page, and I will arrange a 20-minute free consult to help you get a better idea if I can help you with your traumatic past.  You owe it to yourself and those who care about you to keep your trauma from harming the rest of your life.  

About the author:  Scott Kampschaefer, LCSW is a private practice therapist in Frederick, Maryland.  He has an extensive background in working with depression, anxiety, and bipolar disorder at a clinic for older adults with these disorders in Austin, Texas.  He now works with adults and adolescents 14 and up in private practice. His e-book is entitled Life’s Lessons from the Young and the Old and is available for purchase on Amazon.   

Visit our page on trauma therapy to learn more about how Scott can help you with trauma.