Association between childhood exposure to domestic violence and violent extremism: Role of moral disengagement

Violent extremism is a phenomenon of great global concern, being responsible for displacements, deaths, and insecurity across the world. This paper investigates the relationship of childhood exposure to domestic violence with violent extremism, through the mediating role of moral disengagement, in the light of general strain theory coupled with social cognitive theory of moral disengagement. The sample (N = 562; men; n = 273; women; n = 289) is comprised of young adults (age range between 16 to 25 years), a segment of the population that is highly impacted and susceptible yet understudied. The instruments used in this study include Urdu versions of childhood exposure to domestic violence scale, moral disengagement scale, and violent extremism scale. The results show that the relationship between childhood exposure to domestic violence and violent extremism is mediated by moral disengagement. These findings shed light on the underlying mechanism of the pathway leading to violent extremism in the cultural context of Pakistan. Limitations and implications of the study, as well as suggestions for future research directions are discussed.