The quest for significance and resistance to criminality: a case study in Centocelle, Rome

This study integrates the 3N model of radicalization — Need, Narrative and Network — with social identity processes involved in collective action to examine civic mobilization against criminality. The focus is on Centocelle, a neighbourhood in Rome targeted by arson attacks in 2019, allegedly linked to organized crime. These incidents were perceived as both physical threats and symbolic humiliations, triggering a collective threat to significance. It was hypothesized that the interaction between feelings of humiliation (Need) and identification with the neighbourhood would predict affiliation with anti-criminal groups (Network), which would in turn predict attitudes towards rebelling against criminality. A sample of 154 residents completed an online survey. Results suggest that community responses to crime are not solely pragmatic but also psychologically motivated by the restoration of dignity and identity. These findings extend the 3N model beyond violent extremism, highlighting its relevance to constructive civic mobilization in contexts of perceived collective degradation.