Guest Editorial: special issue on violent extremist risk assessment

Abstract

ABSTRACT Violent extremist risk assessment is an evolving field of knowledge and practice, one informed by both empirical research and practitioner field experience. Such assessments have now become a central part of counterterrorism (CT) and countering violent extremism (CVE) responses. It offers structured professional insights and guidance on risk levels at various points on the continuum of those who are, or have, radicalised to violence, from diversion at earlier stages of violent extremist pathways to considerations of risk for post-release terrorist offenders. Any tools that rely on human judgement will necessarily raise questions and debates relating to their validity, structural properties, ability to discriminate between different types of extremists and interrater reliability. While such questions are important, an equally critical but underexamined consideration is the availability of research on the actual practice of violent extremist risk assessment, including how such tools are used across jurisdictions and institutional settings, challenges in their application, and how differing contexts of radicalisation may inform judgements about risk. This special issue, arising from a 2021 AVERT Research Network conference on violent extremism risk assessment, includes contributions from a mix of academics and practitioners who address and explore a number of these research gaps.