‘We had a lot of fun’: Psychological rewards of white supremacy group membership

White supremacist organisations pose a serious and growing threat to democracy and public safety. This article analyses non-ideological ways in which these groups attract and maintain membership. The primary data comprises interviews with 16 former white supremacist group members. Each was asked about their experience of group participation and exit, and a thematic analysis was conducted utilising the interview data. Five distinct themes emerged: belonging, perceived importance, empowerment, emotional intensity and long-term psychological rewards. Based on the analysis it is argued that group entry and maintenance can be partially explained by psychologically rewarding experiences that may seem difficult to attain elsewhere. The analysis is consistent with the assumptions of the good lives model (Ward & Brown, 2004), a strength-based approach to the rehabilitation of criminal offenders. This model provides a theoretical way forward in the understanding and prevention of (re)engagement through the promotion of prosocial ways of achieving the psychological rewards that are important to the individual and that membership of white supremacy groups offer.