Why It Should Be Us: The Case for Social Work to Lead Alt-Right Radicalisation Interventions
Keywords:
Alt-right, Interventions, Social JusticeAbstract
The growth of the alt-right across all western countries presents itself as a critical social justice issue. The increase in white-supremist motivated violence has led to countering violent extremism (CVE), a field of practice, policy and research, being repurposed to provide responses and interventions. Through exploring literature related to CVE this paper aims to demonstrate the need for social work, in research and practice, to lead the formulation of interventions that are specific in responding to alt-right radicalisation. Ultimately outlining the reasons why social work researchers and academics should aim to provide guidance to practitioners in this field. These being: the proximity of social work to the issue, and the benefits of a social justice lens within interventions. Given the lack of current social work interest in exploring the alt-right, it also aims to outline what is the alt-right, and what radicalisation looks like.
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