WHAT IS EXTREMIST VIOLENCE?
THE POWER OF WORDSWords have immense power. They shape our understanding of the world and can mobilize political and social actions. Terms like “violent extremism”, “radicalization”, and “terrorism” trigger strong reactions due to their psychological and social impact. However, their definitions vary across contexts and actors.
OUR APPROACH AT CPN-PREVWe aim to demystify these concepts and focus on prevention following the public health model. This model recognizes that there is no single, linear path leading to extremist violence, but rather a complex interplay of risk and protective factors at multiple levels: individual, relational, community, and societal.
Prevention efforts aim to mitigate the risk factors that make individuals vulnerable to violent radicalization or extremism, strengthen the protective factors that foster resilience, and create safer communities.
HOW DO WE DEFINE VIOLENT EXTREMISM?
At CPN-PREV, we underscore that violent extremism is distinct from the broader process of radicalization. While radicalization involves the gradual adoption of extreme positions that challenge the status quo, it does not inherently lead to violence. Most individuals with radical views do not resort to violent actions.
Violent extremism specifically emerges when individuals, movements, or governments advocate for, justify, or engage in violence as a means to advance their cause and bring about social change.
We consider violent extremism to be the use of violent means (e.g., serious threats, harm, murder, violent disorder, hateful vandalism) motivated and justified by extreme ideological positions embraced by extremist movements or individuals who identify with these beliefs and actions, to achieve ideological, social, economic, religious, or political goals.