CDU EXPERT: How extremists are using language to inspire political violence

“Extremist messages work by shaping relationships between people. They strengthen connections within the group, creating loyalty and a sense of shared purpose, while at the same time separating the group from outsiders and making them feel like enemies. This kind of messaging can subtly divide society and make people strongly identify with the group. As a result, following the group’s rules – even extreme actions – can feel like proof that someone truly belongs and is loyal. 

“There are strategies extremists use to contest bonds before they coerce into violent actions as an obligation. The strategies include:  

• Weaponising divergence: Outgroups are not just labelled different. They are framed as immoral and dangerous. 

• Intertextuality and repurposing of religious texts: It is not religion itself that incites violence but the ideological repurposing of religious texts. 

• Polarising bonds through metaphors and kinship terms: Inclusive pronouns and kinship terms tighten loyalty and obligation. Exclusive pronouns widen the moral gap and help normalise hostility. 

• Coercion into violent actions: In addition to commands, recommendations, or warnings that instruct an action explicitly, coercion turns loyalty into duty. 

“Countering extremism means understanding its discursive tactics. Policymakers, educators, and community leaders need to expose how extremist words manipulate values and bonds, deconstruct dangerous talk that ambiently polarises society, and teach critical literacy so communities can spot and resist coercive rhetoric. 

“Extremist language works by hijacking shared values and reframing them as obligations to hate and hurt. Cutting the fuse before violence ignites means dismantling these bonds with education, transparency, and proactive communication.”