Family-Oriented P/CVE Programs: Overview, Challenges and Future Directions

Abstract

Many have pointed out families to play a crucial role, both as a risk and protective factor, in radicalization leading to violence phenomena. Over the past few years, researchers and practitioners have recognized the importance of ensuring that families are addressed as a prevention target, as well as recognizing the valuable resource that they represent in preventive efforts. Accordingly, the field of P/CVE has witnessed the burgeoning of a variety of prevention and intervention initiatives specifically addressed to families, either aiming to strengthen family resilience in the face of various fragilities or to support parents in the face of problematic situations related to radicalization and (violent) extremism. While the number of family-oriented P/CVE programs has increased over the last decade, the available literature on this topic remains scarce, with very few publications providing knowledge about the nature, objectives and different operating procedures of existing initiatives. In this article, we introduce a typology of family-oriented P/CVE programs, relying on an extensive review of existing initiatives at an international level. We aim to contribute to the current literature by providing a better understanding of the variety of prevention mechanisms for radicalization leading to violence dedicated to families, as well as to discuss the challenges and pitfalls of those initiatives designed for (and sometimes by) families. In doing so, this article provides highlights and lessons that may be useful for the design of future initiatives.