The Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, in collaboration with national experts in cognitive behavioral therapy and a network of probation officers and practitioners engaged in prevention and reintegration efforts of violent extremists, is pleased to submit the proposal entitled “Evaluability assessment and development of psychological and behavioral approaches to prevent terrorism and facilitate the reintegration of violent extremists” in reply to the United States (US) Department of Justice (DOJ) grant solicitation # NIJ-2021-60007 entitled “Research and Evaluation on Domestic Terrorism Prevention.” This proposal builds upon previous research conducted by the Harvard team on evaluability assessments of terrorism prevention and reintegration efforts in the USA, Canada and Europe. We have identified a network of practitioners of various professional background, that have used psychological-behavioral interventions during prevention and reintegration efforts in pre and post conviction situations. The majority of these interventions are grounded in rigorous research and can be considered as evidence-based for clients presenting with different types of behaviors (i.e. violent behaviors). While there is limited evidence about the impact of these therapeutic approaches in preventing recidivism, our preliminary studies on prevention and reintegration efforts have identified cognitive behavioral therapies as promising practices worth more in-depth assessments and development.
The project addresses two main research questions: 1) How can specific psychological and behavioral health approaches – commonly used in prevention and reintegration efforts for violent extremists – be further developed and evaluated to determine their effectiveness? 2) What types of practitioners, professional figures and trainers are necessary for an effective implementation of cognitive and behavioral approaches for violent extremists? Project activities include interviews, trainings, and surveys designed to achieve consensus on the therapeutic efforts and monitor the effectiveness of such interventions. A final report, training guidance on the use of the cognitive behavioral interventions and scientific manuscripts, will be delivered at the end of the project. This project will benefit all practitioners engaged in terrorism prevention efforts and their clients as it provides data on the effectiveness of the cognitive behavioral interventions for violent extremists.