The threat of far-right extremism in Germany: A matter of child protection

This blogpost was originally posted as a publication on the International Centre for Counter-Terrorism’s website. On 7 December 2022 German authorities arrested two dozen members of a right-wing terrorist organisation associated with the Reichsbürger (citizens of the Reich) for plotting an armed coup to overthrow the state. The events made headlines across the world, leading many to ask how […]
Second PREPARE workshop and in-person meeting held – Dublin, 16 & 17 November 2022

On 16-17 November 2022, the PREPARE partners met in Dublin to hold their second workshop and in-person consortium meeting since the start of the project at the beginning of 2022. During the consortium meeting on 16 November, partners discussed their progress on PREPAREso far, shared insights and planned future research activities. In the afternoon session, the consortium mapped out […]
PREPARE attends the CERIS – Community of European Research and Innovation for Security workshop on Radicalisation

On November 29 2022, PREPARE took part in the CERIS FCT workshop: EU-funded projects on Preventing Radicalisation – Synergies and Insights. DG HOME, together with DG RTD and REA, is organising this workshop to bring together practitioners, policy makers and researchers to discuss the lessons drawn from a number of projects related to radicalisation and that are […]
PREPARE attends DG HOME Joint Union Actions Event

On 26 September 2022, PREPARE members participated at the Joint Union Actions Event organised by the Directorate-General for Migration and Home Affairs in Brussels. PREPARE joined numerous other ISF-DG HOME projects awarded in 2019 and 2020 to present findings from their ongoing projects. Grant holders and external partners exchanged knowledge and experiences on violent extremism, migration and human trafficking. The event […]
Growing up in a violent extremist environment: an Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE) as ‘any other’?

Children of violent radicalised families (returnees, Islamic or right-wing violent extremists) live or have lived under circumstances that may be harmful to their development. Much attention goes to the early recognition of radicalisation processes in teens and young adults, in order to prevent violent extremism for the sake of national security. However, there may be […]
Multi-disciplinary approaches to support children growing up in violent extremist environments

Growing up in a family environment marked by violent extremism can impact children in numerous ways. It is therefore necessary to put into effect individually-tailored multi-disciplinary approaches to support these children’s reintegration. Children exposed to Islamist and far-right extremist narratives and violence, whether at home or in conflict zones, may experience varying levels of emotional […]
Trainings for first-line practitioners working in the field of violent extremism: An overview of good practices

First-line practitioners refers to professionals working in educational institutions, juvenile systems, youth and social care, and individuals working with children on a long-term basis. These professionals work with children and young people from a range of backgrounds including those exposed to and affected by violent extremism. First-line practitioners can play a key role in identifying […]
Growing up in the blind spot of society – Children of far-right violent extremist families

Past research on violent extremism and terrorism has had a clear focus on jihadism in comparison to far-right extremism. When researching children raised in extremist families, it quickly becomes clear that there are far more publications on children of Islamist parents than on children in far-right extremist families as well. PREPARE is unique in that […]
Rule-of-law and human rights-based approaches towards children of violent extremist parents

Rights of the Child According to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, children should not be subject to discrimination on the basis of the religious or political beliefs of the parent(s). Yet, the societal bias, sensationalism, and exceptionalism often associated with violent extremism undoubtedly increases the risks of stigma and securitisation of […]
Risk and Protective Factors for Child Returnees – Insights from the PREPARE workshop

On the 11th of May, the first PREPARE workshop took place in The Hague, gathering insights from professionals from across Europe with expertise related to interactions with children who grow up in violent extremist families. Both unique and prominent risk and protective factors for the well-being of children returning from Syria or Iraq were a […]