- Lenita Törning & Edvin Sandström, Swedish Centre for Preventing Violent Extremism (CVE): Balancing security and social care – Risk and protective factors in multi-agency collaboration in Sweden
- Anders Bo Christensen, Danish Centre for Documentation and Counter Extremism: Assessing concerns for extremism in a multiagency setting – looking at both risk and threat, and welfare and resilience
- Kjetil Friisø Ramborg, RVTS Region East: National collaboration and digital resources for local and regional support
Panel abstract
Risk and protective factors are seen as significant in preventing violent extremism, and preventive strategies against violent extremism often emphasise the need to identify risk and protective factors. However, while recent systematic reviews have tried to identify common risk and protective factors in violent extremism (e.g. Wolfowitz et al, 2020), there is little agreement on what factors lead to violent extremism. This has resulted in a critical discussion of how evidence-based preventive strategies are and whether they actually prevent violent extremism.
This panel critically explores how risk and protective factors have been implemented in multi-agency preventive work in Sweden, Denmark and Norway. Drawing on experiences from participants who have been involved in developing multi-agency preventive models against violent extremism, each paper attends to policies, strategies and frameworks used when selecting what risk and protective factors to include. The papers also identify similarities and differences between the Nordic countries when it comes to understanding, framing and implementing risk and protective factors in preventive work.
Balancing security and social care – Risk and protective factors in multi-agency collaboration in Sweden
In the Swedish presentation, Lenita Törning and Edvin Sandström focus on the Swedish support model to prevent violent extremism. This is a dialogue-based support model intended to strengthen local multi-agency work and its conversation guide is constructed based on risk and protective factors. The presentation attends to how a multi-agency perspective shaped what risk and protective factors to include in the support model. It also discusses how the challenges facing multiagency work – such as different objectives and institutional logics – provide critical insights into the significance of risk and protective factors in preventive work in Sweden.
Assessing concerns for extremism in a multiagency setting – looking at both risk and threat, and welfare and resilience
In the Danish presentation, Anders Bo Christensen has a similar focus on the balance between risk and protection. His presentation focuses on the Danish multiagency infohouse structure and how multiagency teams use the Danish multiagency support model to assess risks and protective factors in cases where there are concerns about violent extremism. Providing different examples of implementation, training and experiences from the infohouses, the presentation provides insights into the sometime challenging balance between focusing on ‘risk and threat’ and ‘welfare and resilience’ in preventive work against violent extremism in Denmark.
National collaboration and digital resources for local and regional support
In the Norwegian presentation, Kjetil Friisø Ramborg focuses on experiences from the Regional Centre Violence, Trauma and suicide prevention (RVTS). The RVTS have five regional centres in Norway, and bridge the gap between research and practice, and support public services and municipalities in implementing better practices and understanding. In the Norwegian action plan to prevent radicalization and violent extremism, the RVTS’ have a resource and counselling function, support multidisciplinary networks and mentor-arrangement with education and supervision. They contribute within all levels of preventive interventions – from reintegration of foreign fighters and their families, to supporting multidisciplinary work with radicalized individuals and more universal strategies and efforts of prevention. The presentation shares some of these experiences, with particular focus on identifying risk factors and facilitating multidisciplinary collaboration to reduce risk and strengthen protective factors in Norway.