[Xenophobia and experienced abandonment--a depth-hermeneutic analysis of a single case].

A single case study is presented from a feasibility study on social, psychic and neurobiological causes of violence in adolescence focusing on right-wing extremist and xenophobic youth. Results from psychological assessments and a structured biografical reconstruction are analyzed. The case illustrates a typical developmental path of a right-wing, xenophobic and violent male adolescent who experienced early and repeated exclusion and social marginalization. Results from psychological testing demonstrated additional developmental risk factors, such as disorganized attachment representations and low mentalizing abilities. A depth-hermeneutic analysis ofa sequence during the attachment interview as well as a reflection of the research setting further illustrates how experiences of exclusion are re-enacted by a combination of fear of abandonment and aggression.