Publications

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In the BICC Working Paper "Theology, Therapy or Participation? German Salafism, Radicalisation and the Search for Prevention Strategies" author Marc von Boemcken analyses research approaches to the prevention of radicalisation.
According to the security authorities, the number of violent adherents to "Salafist movements" in North Rhine-Westphalia rose to 840 in 2018. For some years now, the Federal and State governments have been supporting many projects to prevent Islamist radicalisation. This makes it all the more important to define the problem precisely: What is meant by "radicalisation"? Which factors drive individual radicalisation processes?
In BICC Working Paper 1\2019, Marc von Boemcken, Senior Researcher at the peace and conflict research institute BICC, emphasises that preventing radicalisation requires a clear strategic objective. His overview study reflects current debates on the concept of radicalisation. It identifies factors that explain a turn to violence and examines the growth of a Salafist-oriented youth movement in Germany in recent years.
For the development of prevention strategies against Islamist radicalisation, the Working Paper suggests initial points of orientation:
\ Focus on preventing violence,
\ Tackle Islamophobia, and
\ Enable non-violent handling of conflicting values.