The growing evidence base of risk factors for violent extremism demonstrates overlaps with different types of gender-based violent behaviours, such as intimate partner violence, sexual assault, and sexual harassment. Each of these manifestations of violence are, to a varying extent, underpinned by misogynistic and hypermasculine attitudes and behaviours. The present analysis aims…

A growing body of research suggests that an individual’s willingness to fight and die for groups is rooted in the fusion of personal and group identities, especially when the group is threatened, violence is condoned, and the group’s enemies are dehumanised or demonised. Here we consider whether the language used…

Violent extremism risk assessments of individuals suspected or convicted of terrorism are relevant for legal decisions, in prison and probation settings, and in inter-professional risk collaboration. These risk assessment reports by professionals should be applicable to and usable for the different judicial contexts. Informal and formal clinical practice evaluations, in…

Online gaming represents one of the biggest and fastest growing industries globally with over 900 million gamers. Its growth is not only attributed to the development of online games and communities, but also to the game hosting and adjacent communications platforms that have been specifically designed for gamers and gaming,…

This toolkit is providing you with practical insights and suggestions on how to potentially work with a person who believes in conspiracy narratives. The aims of this toolkit are to explain what a conspiracy narrative exactly is, what a conspiracy narrative may offer to someone and how to help them…

In this article, I propose a theoretical framework that provides a new perspective on the variation and contestation of P/CVE (Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism) policies in the world. Drawing on the public policy literature, I argue that P/CVE emerged in response to the policy problem of terrorism, but then…

Violent extremist organisations (VEOs) use social media platforms to promote extremist content and coordinate agendas. The use of digital platforms to disseminate information and coordinate activities by VEOs in Nigeria has grown considerably in recent years. This report analyses the adoption of social media before and after attacks by Boko…

This paper describes the development of a programme theory for a football-based radicalisation prevention programme. As part of the Belgian Red Courts programme, an initiative of the Belgian Football Association in cooperation with the Vrije Universiteit Brussels and the Hannah-Arendt Institute, a literature review was conducted that links current research…

This policy paper summarizes the current state of affairs regarding the linkages of terrorist groups in West Africa with terrorist networks in other African regions. It also provides recommendations for policymakers and security agencies. The paper looks at linkages of JNIM, IS West Africa Province (ISWAP), and IS in the…

Among the takeaways from the ongoing Strong Cities Transatlantic Dialogue Initiative is that cities should not only view community-based organisations as partners in prevention but must also invest both in building long-term relationships with them and help them build their technical and institutional capacities. Strong Cities recognises that the ability of local…

Research summary We compare European and North American radicalization trajectories that led to involvement in terrorist violence (n = 103) with those for which this outcome did not occur (n = 103). Regression analyses illustrate how involvement in terrorist violence is determined not only by the presence of risk, but also the absence of…

While much is known about factors associated with deradicalisation and disengagement from violent extremism and terrorism, the underlying mechanisms at play have been under theorised. Literature on criminal desistance has a lot to offer in understanding the process of exiting from extremism, particularly in how it proceeds, the mechanisms at…