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

• Main Authors: Maria Walsh, Antje Gansewig
• Format: Article
• Language: deu
• Published: Daniel Koehler 2021-06-01
• Series: Journal for Deradicalization
• Subjects: former extremists; p/cve; pve-e; professional training; quality standards
• Online Access: https://journals.sfu.ca/jd/index.php/jd/article/view/463
• ISSN: 2363-9849; 2363-9849

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.