Introduction

Abstract

Violent extremism includes, but is broader than, terrorism, just as countering violent extremism (CVE) is broader in scope than counter terrorism (CT), which is largely concerned with tactical responses. CVE programs aspire to non-coercive, more holistic approaches, to the problem of violent extremism that engage the whole of society, working with women as well as men and generally led by civil society organisations (CSOs), to work further upstream than CT, in strategically preventing radicalisation and recruitment into violent networks as well as working downstream in promoting disengagement from malign social networks, together with rehabilitation and reengagement into healthy social networks. CVE programs are typically framed in an analogous fashion to public health programs: focussing on primary interventions with broad communities, secondary interventions with at-risk individuals and groups, often youth, and tertiary interventions designed to heal and rehabilitate. Tertiary interventions are often referred to as deradicalisation, but this term overlooks the dominant social and behavioural aspects and risks narrowly, and unrealistically, focusing on changing beliefs and ideas. The concept of CVE is widely misunderstood, and the terminology has acquired unwanted baggage, being seen by some to be caught up in securitisation and surveillance. Some have substituted preventing violent extremism (PVE) for CVE, but we argue that it is better to make inclusive use of the term P/CVE. At the same time, it has become clear that P/CVE concerns issues and dynamics that need to be understood more broadly, with greater attention being given to hate, hate incidents and hate crimes. Hateful extremism, being adjacent to, and sometimes overlapping with, violent extremism, should be recognised as being part of the larger problem: violent and hateful extremism (VHE). And being responsive to issues of toxic identity politics, sectarianism and misogyny, involving discrimination, prejudice and hate can lead to more effective P/CVE programs whilst also better keeping the focus on helping communities strengthen social cohesion and promoting respect for diversity and pluralism. This chapter incorporates a comprehensive compilation of the current critical literature from researchers and practitioners.KeywordsViolent extremismHateRadicalisationCivil societyP/CVEVHECSO