The side effects of the violent extremism prevention program Fénix Andalucía

• In Event: Interdisciplinary approaches to radicalization, political violence and the relations between terrorism and crime to advance P/CVE

Abstract

In order to prevent violent extremism in areas at risk of exclusion, a program was designed to promote social inclusion based on social mentoring and the 3N model of radicalization. More than 4,000 minors from 80 educational centers located in areas of exclusion participated. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of the prevention program using a theory-based evaluation. Four hundred ninety-two participants completed the assessment, in addition to 492 students who were part of the control group. The three factors of the 3N model were assessed: significance quest, deviant networks, and violent narratives; before and at the conclusion of the program. To estimate the impact of the program, mixed ANCOVAs were conducted to examine changes in the three factors over time and in comparison to the control group, taking into account covariates such as age, sex, and duration of program implementation. To elucidate the changes produced at the individual level, based on the initial level of risk, a latent transitional profile analysis was performed. The results showed that the significance quest improved after program completion, but not the networks or narratives. Considering three risk profiles (low, medium, and high), the probabilities of improvement were higher in all groups, although there was also a small chance that participants were at an increased risk after the end of the program. The program showed a moderate impact on reducing the risk of violent extremism. On the one hand, social mentoring was found to have a greater impact on providing significance to participants. However, no significant impact was found on deviant networks or violent narratives. The impact was reduced because several low-risk participants ended up developing more risk after participating in the program. We conclude by emphasizing the need to assess participants’ baseline risk to tailor interventions.

Author

• Roberto Muelas Lobato, University of Burgos. Dpt. of Health Sciences