The Centre for the prevention of radicalization leading to violence (CPRLV) aims to serve as a platform to support families and individuals concerned by potential radicalization situations, and to prevent the worsening of the latter symptoms, when they occur. CPRLV comes as an initiative of the City of Montreal, wishing to set up an organization, dedicated specifically to preventing issues of violent radicalization and their expressions.
To effectively prevent radicalization leading to violence, the CPRLV designs its objectives according to three main areas: research, intervention, and training. In terms of research, the Centre’s research team aims to keep a lookout on the radicalization phenomenon leading to violence to document them and to explain and suggest tools for the intervention. As such, it supports the modules of prevention and intervention by continually informing of the radicalization trends and developments in Quebec and at the international level. The Centre finally conducts studies and produces analytical reports on various dimensions and trends associated to violent radicalization, as well as the strategies and best practices for prevention in this area.
In terms of prevention, the CPRLV’s training module and skills development is responsible for the creation and dissemination of awareness workshops and various training courses on radicalization to be used by front line workers (social workers, community school interveners, etc.) and institutional partners (police, correctional services, schools, professional associations, etc). In terms of intervention, the CPRLV supports all the practical situations of radicalization leading to violence through a psychosocial intervention team (social worker, psychotherapist, psychologist, youth worker). The CPRLV’s intervention strategies are individualized and consider the psychosocial assessment specific to every radicalization situation. Through a concerted action with its partners in the field, the CPRLV workers provide social and emotional support and meet religious needs, most of them underlying radicalization situations.
The CPRLV has developed several customized practical guides for a broad range of audiences. The guides contain background information on various issues pertaining to violent radicalization and are designed to help front-line workers understand these issues and take effective preventive action. Simple user-friendly tools are available for everyone, including parents, community members, teachers, social intervention specialists, and health care professionals. These tools are designed to help in the dissemination of information, raising of public awareness and prevention of radicalization leading to violence:
- An information kit for school personnel titled »Radicalization leading to violence in schools: a better understanding for a better response« is available here
- Brochure »Radicalization leading to violence in the workplace« is available here
- Brochure »For a violence free environment: report hate incidents and crime« is available here
More information on the centre is available.