As we mourn the victims of Friday night’s terrorist attacks in Paris, we’re all wondering how—or if—such tragedies can be avoided in the future. One clear risk factor is a local Muslim population that feels marginalized, discriminated against, not really part of society. Young men growing up in such conditions can easily turn bitter and angry, making them prime targets for recruitment by terrorist organizations.

This feeling of outsider status is far more widespread among Muslims in France, and other European countries, than in the United States. Although recent Republican presidential debates may suggest otherwise, we are a nation of immigrants, and the children of newcomers tend to become acculturated quite rapidly.

It is obviously in our interest to keep this dynamic in place. But recently published research points to a factor that can and does disrupt it: anti-Muslim hate crimes.

Read the article “What’s the Real Goal of Islamic Terrorists?” on psmag.com.