Adapting the good practices of offline de-radicalisation and disengagement programmes online: A new approach to online Prevent and Counter Violent Extremism (P/CVE)

Abstract

This research studies three de-radicalisation and disengagement programmes implemented in Western Europe in order to establish a list of good practices and analyse the extent to which these practices could be turned into online prevent and counter violent extremism (P/CVE) measures. Drawing from brochures, official reports and research about the British Healthy Identity Intervention, the German de-radicalisation programme implemented by EXIT-Deutschland, and the French Recherche et Intervention sur les Violences Extrémistes (RIVE) programme, this study establishes a list of 10 offline good practices. This research demonstrates that it is theoretically possible to adapt most of these good practices into online P/CVE measures, mainly through the use of social media and instant messaging and videocall platforms. Some of these measures have already been implemented as part of pilot studies or campaigns from civil society organisations and governments. Their encouraging results lead to think that such measures could have a positive outcome on the online prevention and countering of violent extremism.