Policy Brief: Countering Violent Extremism

Publication Date: October 2018

Publisher: Alliance for Peacebuilding

Preventing violent extremism is a complex issue that requires addressing fundamental social problems and political drivers through a whole-of-society comprehensive approach.

In spite of the tremendous resources the U.S. has invested in counter-terrorism and counter-insurgency initiatives, violent extremist movements are growing. Hard security tools alone cannot defeat violent extremism. A whole-of-society approach that addresses fundamental social and political drivers of extremism must be an integral part of any countering violent extremism (CVE) strategy.

Violent extremism (VE) refers to actions advocating, engaging in, or supporting violence to further ideologically motivated social, economic or political objectives. Radicalization is the process by which individuals may become violent extremists. Counter-terrorism and countering violent extremism are different approaches that are not linear or mutually exclusive; as shown below, these approaches address violent extremism at different points of the radicalization process and engagement in terrorist acts.