Addressing Violent Radicalisation and Extremism: A Restorative Justice & Psychosocial Approach
Theo Gavrielides (2025) New York: Springer
Book's impetus & innovation
This groundbreaking book revisits the current model for preventing and controlling violent radicalisation and extremism. It proposes a new, evidence-based model, called RJiNEAR, using restorative justice, positive criminology and positive psychology.
The book uses data collected through six international pilot projects that were carried out in several countries from 2017 to 2023. It presents the results of these pilots and recommends best practices that adopt successful and positive models for the prevention and control of extremist and hate attitudes.
This book speaks to researchers, policymakers, practitioners, and human rights campaigners from around the world looking for a new approach that can better serve harmed parties, their families, and communities.
Table of contents
The book is structured around three main parts moving from theory to pilots and ultimately to critical analysis.
Part I aims to present the normative and philosophical framework within which the book’s objectives are found. It starts by critically presenting the current punitive model that is being used to prevent and control violent radicalisation and extremism. It then moves on to analyse rehabilitation through the lenses of restorative justice, positive psychology and positive criminology. Subsequently, the book's positive resilience model, RJiNEAR is presented. This part concludes by putting the book within the context of the power battles that influence world politics, crime prevention and control including violent extremism.
Part II is exclusively based on new, original data collected through six case studies and fieldwork. These international case studies act as pilots that used Gavrielides work and his RJiNEARJ positive model of building resilience against violent radicalisation and extremism. They aimed at illustrating the implementation of the book's positive model, while presenting initial findings of impact on selected target groups.
Part III combines the normative and empirical approaches of the previous parts to achieve two objectives. First, it identifies the gaps and next steps for research, policy and practice in preventing and controlling violent radicalisation and extremism. In this effort, two different practical guides for researchers and policy makers working in the prevention and control of violent radicalisation and extremism are produced. Second, it encourages the reader to attempt a self-reflection by awakening feelings of responsibility, and by raising awareness of the role that we all have in accepting the powers that control the status quo that feeds into the divisive narratives that lead to inequality and injustices.
​
To find out more about Gavrielides' work in this area follow the link
Preface: Written by a leading expert in the field (TBC)
Introduction & book’s impetus​
PART I: CHALLENGING AND CHANGING PERSPECTIVES
Chapter 1: New wine in old wineskins: A new way forward
​​
Chapter 2: Reconciling rehabilitation and restorative justice theories: a new vision of pain as punishment
​​
Chapter 3: The RJiNEAR model of resilience: Theory and practice
​​
Chapter 4: Power, inequality and injustice: The terrorist from within
​​
PART II: PERSPECTIVES PILOTED: SIX CASE STUDIES
Chapter 5: Case study 1 – preventing violent youth radicalisation: Large-scale pilots in the UK, Greece, Cyprus, Italy, Sweden, Romania, and Portugal
​​
Chapter 6: Case study no 2 - Online violent youth radicalisation and the youth-led method for prevention
Chapter 7: Case study no 3 - Understanding online violent youth radicalisation: Pilots in the UK, Cyprus, Greece, Belgium and France.
​
Chapter 8: Case study no 4 - Preventing violent radicalisation in the criminal justice system: Pilots in the UK, Turkey, Spain, Romania, Ireland and Italy.
​​
Chapter 9: Case study no 5 - Preventing group and radical youth violence: A small-scale pilot in the UK, London.
​​
Chapter 10: Case study no 6 - Prevention and resilience building in youth: A community-based pilot in the UK, London.​
​​​
PART III: PERSPECTIVES IMPLEMENTED: PRACTICAL GUIDES & REFLECTIONS
Chapter 11: Critical perspectives
​​
Chapter 12: Gaps, next steps and a guide for research policy and practice
​​
Epilogue: Awakening the terrorist within​​
