The Role of Trauma and Mental Health in Violent Extremism: The Perceptions of Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) Practitioners and Why We Can’t Get It Wrong

ABSTRACT

Many studies have sought to better understand the link between childhood trauma and vulnerability to involvement in violent extremism; research drawing on the voices, experiences, and perceptions of Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) practitioners, who work directly with violent extremists in their daily work, remains limited. In order to address this gap, the present study aims to explore the lived experience of 12 practitioners who work with young people at risk of becoming involved in violent extremism in various states within Australia and how their understandings of trauma have framed their perceptions of their clients. Interviews were conducted via Zoom and were led by a research team consisting of one practitioner and three academics. Practitioners discussed the need to understand the impacts of trauma on their clients, the implications of these effects, and the actions they took to become better informed. In investigating practitioners’ perceptions of client trauma, the research highlights disparities in training across Australia and the need for systemic training in trauma informed practices for all practitioners who work within this space.

KEYWORDS:

• Australia
• combatting violent extremism
• radicalization
• Trauma
• trauma informed practice
• violent extremism

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).