Long-Term Experience Means Professionalization – Or Does It? An in-depth look on the Involvement of Former Extremists in German Prevention and Education

Authors

  • Maria Walsh Independent Researcher
  • Antje Gansewig University of Oldenburg

Keywords:

Former Extremists, P/CVE, PVE-E, Professional Training, Quality Standards

Abstract

The utilization of former extremists in preventing and countering radicalization and violent extremism has increased internationally. Nonetheless, the question of professionalization in these fields regarding the formers themselves is controversial. However, the issue of staff professionalization within P/CVE organizations and structures has been neglected. This article closely examines the degree of professionalization in the German context, especially regarding school-based P/CVE interventions, with more than twenty-year experience with such tools. The authors conducted interviews with representatives of four German organizations known to facilitate former-based P/CVE workshops as part of their portfolios. In summary, the findings indicate the need for improvement in professionalization.

References

Bjørgo, T. (1997). Racist and right-wing violence in Scandinavia. Patterns, perpetrators and responses. Oslo: Tano Aschehoug.

Briggs, R., & Feve, S. (2013). Review of Programs to Counter Narratives of Violent Ex- tremism. What works and what are the implications for government? Institute for Strategic Dialogue (Eds.).

Bundesarbeitsgemeinschaft Ausstieg zum Einstieg (BAG) (Eds.) (2018). Qualitätsstandards für den Einsatz von Ausgestiegenen in der Bildungsarbeit. Berlin. Retrieved from https://kurswechsel-hamburg.de/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/BAG_QS_Einsatz_Ausgestiegene.pdf [02/24/2021].

Charmaz, K. (2006). Constructing grounded theory. London; Thousand Oaks, Calif.; New Delhi: Sage.

Christensen, T.W. (2015). How extremist experiences become valuable knowledge in EXIT programmes. Journal for Deradicalization, 3, 92-134.

Davey, J., Birdwell, J., & Skellett, R. (2018). Counter Conversations. A model for direct engagement with individuals showing signs of radicalisation online. ISD, London. Retrieved from https://www.isdglobal.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Counter-Conversations_FINAL.pdf [02/17/2021].

de Silva, S. (n.d.). Role of Education in the Prevention of Violent Extremism. What is “violent extremism”? How can the ongoing work in this area influence the design of World Bank projects? What value added can the World Bank bring to this topic? Retrieved from http://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/448221510079762554/120997-WP-revised-PUBLIC-Role-of-Education-in-Prevention-of-Violence-Extremism-Final.pdf [02/25/2021].

Foerch Saab, C. (2020). Fighters for Peace. Ex-combatants: Lessons learned – “Formers” engage in preventing violence and extremism. In C. Heinzelmann, & E. Marks (Eds.), International Perspectives of Crime Prevention 11 (pp. 221-228). Mönchengladbach: Forum Verlag Godesberg.

Gansewig, A. (2018). Prävention von politischem Extremismus in Deutschland. Eine Betrachtung zur Bedarfs- und Angebotslage. In M. Walsh, B. Pniewski, M. Kober, & A. Armborst (Eds.), Evidenzorientierte Kriminalprävention in Deutschland. Ein Leitfaden für Politik und Praxis (pp. 465–488). Wiesbaden: Springer.

Gansewig, A., & Walsh, M. (2020). Biografiebasierte Maßnahmen in der schulischen Präventions- und Bildungsarbeit. Eine empirische Betrachtung des Einsatzes von Aussteigern aus extremistischen Szenen unter besonderer Berücksichtigung ehemaliger Rechtsextremer. Baden-Baden: Nomos.

Gansewig, A., & Walsh, M. (2021). Preventing Violent Extremism with Former Extremists in Schools: A Media Analysis of the Situation in Germany. Terrorism and Political Violence. https://doi.org/10.1080/09546553.2020.1862802.

Gansewig, A., & Walsh, M. (in preparation). Prevention of Radicalization and Violent Extremism in Schools with Former Extremists in Germany: The Evidence Gap and the Need for a Differentiated View of Students’ Perspectives.

Helfferich, C. (2014). Leitfaden- und Experteninterviews. In N. Baur, & J. Blasius (Eds.), Handbuch Methoden der empirischen Sozialforschung (pp. 559–574). Wiesbaden: Springer VS.

Holdaway, L., & Simpson, R. (2018). Improving the Impact of Preventing Violent Extremism Programming: A Toolkit for Design, Monitoring and Evaluation. United Nations Development Programme, Oslo. Retrieved from www.undp.org/content/dam/undp/library/Global%20Policy%20Centres/OGC/PVE_ImprovingImpactProgrammingToolkit_2018.pdf [02/09/2021].

Horgan, J. (2009). Walking away from terrorism: Accounts of disengagement from radical and extremist movements. New York: Routledge.

Jäckle, A., Lynn, P., Sinibaldi, J., & Tipping, S. (2013). The Effects of Interviewer Experiences, Attitudes, Personality and Skills on Respondent Co-operation with Face-to-Face Surveys. Survey Research Methods, 7(1), 1-15.

Koehler, D., & Fiebig, V. (2019). Knowing What to Do: Academic and Practitioner Understanding of How to Counter Violent Radicalization. Perspectives on Terrorism, 13(3), 44-62.

Koehler, D. (2020). Involvement of Formers in Countering Violent Extremism: A Critical Perspective on Commonly Held Assumptions. In M. Walsh, & A. Gansewig (Eds.), Frühere Extremisten in der schulischen Präventionsarbeit: Perspektiven aus Wissenschaft und Praxis (pp. 15-23). Bonn: Nationales Zentrum für Kriminalprävention. Retrieved from https://www.nzkrim.de/fileadmin/nzk/NZK_Berichte/NZK_2020_001.pdf [02/09/2021].

Krause, U., Wagner, B., & Wichmann, F. (2021). Standards EXIT-Deutschland. Ausgestiegene in der politischen Aufklärungsarbeit. Berlin: ZDK Gesellschaft Demokratische Kultur gGmbH. Retrieved from https://www.exit-deutschland.de/meldungen/publikation-standards-ausgestiegene-in-der-politischen-aufklaerungsarbeit [06/03/2021].

Lewis, J., & Marsden, S. (2021). Countering Violent Extremisms Interventions: Contemporary Research. Full Report. Crest. Retrieved from https://crestresearch.ac.uk/resources/countering-violent-extremism-interventions/ [06/03/2021].

Parker, D., & Lindekilde, L. (2020). Preventing extremism with extremists: a double-edged sword? An analysis of the impact of using former extremists in Danish schools. Education Sciences, 10(4), 111-130.

Lobermeier, O. (2014). Gutachten zu den Wirkungen von Projektseminaren des Teilprojektes “Aussteiger aus der rechtsextremen Szene berichten“ umgesetzt vom Verein Projekt21 II e. V. im Rahmen des Projektes “Vielfalt lieben – Toleranz leben“ im Rahmen der Evaluation des Landesprogramms “Weltoffenes Sachsen für Demokratie und Toleranz” im Auftrag des Sächsischen Staatsministeriums des Inneren. proVal – Gesellschaft für sozialwissenschaftliche Analyse, Beratung und Evaluation & Institut für interdisziplinäre Konflikt- und Gewaltforschung der Universität Bielefeld. Retrieved from https://www.lpr.sachsen.de/download/landespraeventionsrat/WOS-Einzelgutachten_Bildungswerk_Sachsen.pdf [02/24/2021].

Lützinger, S., Gruber, F., & Hedayat, A. (2020). Extremismuspräventionslandschaft. Eine Bestandsaufnahme präventiver Angebote in Deutschland sowie ausgewählter Präventionsstrategien aus dem europäischen Ausland. In B. Ben Slama, & U. Kemmesies (Eds.), Handbuch Extremismusprävention – Gesamtgesellschaftlich. Phänomenübergreifend (pp. 597- 626). Wiesbaden: Bundeskriminalamt.

Mattsson, C., & Johansson, T. (2018). Becoming, belonging and leaving – Exit processes among young neo-Nazis in Sweden. Journal for Deradicalization, 16, 34-69.

Mattsson, C., & Johansson, T. (2020a). The hateful other: Neo-Nazis in school and teachers’ strategies for handling racism. British Journal of Sociology of Education. https://doi.org/10.1080/01425692.2020.1823204.

Mattsson, C., & Johansson, T. (2020b). Talk is silver and silence is gold? Assessing the impact of public disengagement from the extreme right on deradicalization. Journal for Deradicalization, 24, 79–112.

Niemi, P.-M., Benjamin, S., Kuusisto, A., & Gearon, L. (2018). How and Why Education Counters Ideological Extremism in Finland. Religions, 9(12), 420-436.

NinA NRW (Eds.) (n.d.). Qualitätsstandards für die politische Bildungsarbeit mit Aus- gestiegenen. Retrieved from http://www.nina-nrw.de/wordpress/workshops-mit-ausgestiegenen/ [09/21/2019].

Oeftering, T. (2013). Das Politische als Kern der politischen Bildung? Hannah Arendts Beitrag zur Didaktik des politischen Unterrichts. Schwalbach/Ts: Wochenschau.

Pfeiffer, T., & Schirmer, T. (2020). “Mein intensivstes Schulerlebnis“ – Prisma: Gespräche mit Aussteigern aus Extremismus und Kriminalität. In M. Walsh, & A. Gansewig (Eds.), Frühere Extremisten in der schulischen Präventionsarbeit. Perspektiven aus Wissenschaft und Praxis (pp. 53-61). Bonn: Nationales Zentrum für Kriminalprävention. Retrieved from https://www.nzkrim.de/fileadmin/nzk/NZK_Berichte/NZK_2020_001.pdf [03/14/2021].

Radicalisation Awareness Network (RAN) (2017). “Dos and don’ts of involving formers in PVE/CVE work. Ex ante paper Working with formers in exit work and online.” Retrieved from https://ec.europa.eu/home-affairs/sites/home affairs/files/what-we-do/networks/radicalisation_awareness_network/ran-papers/docs/dos_and_donts_involving_formers_in_pve_cve_work_bordeaux_27_06_2017_en.pdf [01/01/2021].

Schaeffer, N. C., Dykema, J., & Maynard, D. W. (2010). Interviewers and Interviewing. In P. V. Marsden, & J. D. Wright (Eds.), Handbook of survey research (2nd ed., pp. 437-471). Bingley: Emerald.

Scrivens, R., Windisch, S., & Simi, P. (2020a). Former Extremists in Radicalization and Counter-Radicalization Research. In D.M.D. Silva, & M. Deflem (Eds.), Radicalization and Counter-Radicalization (Sociology of Crime, Law and Deviance, Vol. 25) (pp. 209-224). Emerald Publishing Limited. https://doi.org/10.1108/S1521-613620200000025012.

Scrivens, R., Windisch, S., & Simi, P. (2020b). What can former right-wing extremists tell us about radicalization and counter-radicalization? Centre for Analysis of the Radical Right. Retrieved from https://www.radicalrightanalysis.com/2020/11/26/what-can-former-right-wing-extremists-tell-us-about-radicalization-and-counter-radicalization/ [05/23/2021].

Stephens, W., Sieckelinck, S., & Boutellier, H. (2019). Preventing Violent Extremism: A Review of the Literature, Studies in Conflict & Terrorism, https://doi.org/10.1080/1057610X.2018.1543144.

Strübing, J. (2014). Grounded Theory und Theoretical Sampling. In N. Baur, & J. Blasius (Eds.), Handbuch Methoden der Empirischen Sozialforschung (pp. 457-472). Wiesbaden: Springer.

UNESCO (2017). Preventing violent extremism through education. A guide for policy-makers. Retrieved from https://en.unesco.org/sites/default/files/policymakr.pdf [02/18/2021].

UNESCO (2018). Preventing violent extremism through education: Effective activities and impact. Policy brief. Retrieved from https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000266105 [02/18/2021].

van den Berg, I. (2017). „Und dann wollte ich raus“. Extreme politische Szenen verlassen: am Beispiel Sachsens. Leipzig: Edition Leipzig.

Wagner, B., & Wichmann, F. (2019). EXIT-Deutschland/HAYAT-Deutschland – Ausgangspunkte, Prinzipien und Richtpunkte der Aktivitäten von aus extremistischen Kontexten Ausgestiegener in der Counter- und Formaten der Bildungsarbeit. Berlin: ZDK Gesellschaft Demokratische Kultur gGmbH.

Wagner, B. (2020). Die Botschaft: Ehemalige Rechtsextreme in der schulischen Bildung – Eine Erfahrungsskizze. In M. Walsh, & A. Gansewig (Eds.), Frühere Extremisten in der schulischen Präventionsarbeit. Perspektiven aus Wissenschaft und Praxis (pp. 47-53). Bonn: Nationales Zentrum für Kriminalprävention. Retrieved from https://www.nzkrim.de/fileadmin/nzk/NZK_Berichte/NZK_2020_001.pdf [03/14/2021].

Walsh, M., & Gansewig, A. (2019/20). A Former Right-Wing Extremist in School-based Prevention Work: Research Findings from Germany. Journal for Deradicalization, 21, 1-42.

Walsh, M., & Gansewig, A. (forthcoming). School-based Prevention of Radicalisation and Extremism Involving Former Extremists. Insights into Practice and Research in Germany, and General Considerations. In S. Jayakumar (Eds.), Diversion/Off Ramps from Violent Extremism (working title). IB Tauris.

Zick, A., & Böckler, N. (2015). Radikalisierung als Inszenierung. Vorschlag für eine Sicht auf den Prozess der extremistischen Radikalisierung und die Prävention. forum kriminalprävention, 3, 6–16.

Downloads

Published

2021-06-24

Issue

No. 27: Summer 2021

Section

Articles

License

The JD Journal for Deradicalization uses a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-ND) Licence. You are free to share - copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format under the following conditions: