Trauma and the extremist life cycleMikulan, Janja (Avtor) travmaradikalizacijanasilni ekstremizemidentitetasalafizem-džihadizemLibanonThis study examines the role of trauma in the radicalization journeys of former Salafi-Jihadist militants from Tripoli, Lebanon. Utilizing life-history interviews with ten ex-militants and experts, it explores how different forms of trauma interact across phases of involvement, engagement, and disengagement. Findings indicate that early adversity – including neglect, poverty, and violence – disrupted identity formation, fostered insecurity and desensitization, increasing susceptibility to recruitment. Social traumas, such as the 2013 mosque bombings, further fuelled collective victimhood and a desire for revenge, dignity, and heroism. During the engagement, a combination of empowering and traumatizing experiences led to symptoms of moral injury. Finally, disengagement – often triggered by traumatic imprisonment – rarely led to successful reintegration, leaving respondents with complex PTSD, stigma, and marginalization. Theoretically, this study positions trauma not as a peripheral factor, but as a central mechanism that shapes involvement, sustains engagement, and obstructs disengagement. It demonstrates that radicalization functions both as a coping strategy and an attempted identity reconstruction. Empirically, it provides rare qualitative evidence from a Middle Eastern context. Practically, the findings emphasize the need for trauma-informed counter-extremism strategies that link individual healing with community and structural interventions.20262026-07-01 13:46:31Neznano14118sl© 2026 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/ licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. The terms on which this article has been published allow the posting of the Accepted Manuscript in a repository by the author(s) or with their consent.