Jade Hutchinson co-authors new book on social work and countering violent extremism

At a moment when frontline practitioners and communities are being asked to respond in real time to radicalisation and extremist violence, Dr Jade Hutchinson, Research Fellow at the School of Regulation and Global Governance (RegNet) has co-authored a new book published this year titled, Social Work and Countering Violent Extremism: Case Management, Direct Practice and Multi-Sectoral Collaboration published by Springer Nature.

Written with David Yuzva Clement and Ruxandra Gheorghe (Carleton University), Dennis Walkenhorst (IU International University of Applied Sciences) and Andrew McKenzie (University of Toronto), the book brings social work and countering violent extremism into sustained dialogue for the first time. Drawing on a longer tradition of social-work involvement in countering violent extremism that reaches back to the “acceptance-based youth work” in 1980s and on the comparative experience from Germany, Canada, and Australia, the authors argue that as psychosocial interventions take on growing prominence across sectors, social work is uniquely positioned to learn from it, guide it, and lead it, directly challenging the risk-and-deviance logics that have shaped much of the field since 9/11.

Across five chapters the book moves from foundational terminology and contemporary theory on radicalisation, hate, and extremism, through the bio-psycho-social-spiritual model and the practical mechanics of psychosocial assessment, risk assessment and case management, to a closing set of special issue areas, including multi-agency collaboration between social work and law enforcement, youth radicalisation and family-based intervention, and counter violent extremism practice within correctional and criminal-justice contexts. A final outlook chapter calls for curricular renewal in social work faculties alongside an international research agenda on multi-systemic case management, securitised social policy, and online practices with at-risk users.

Jade’s research on the sociotechnical dimensions of radicalisation, extremism, and violence shapes the volume throughout, particularly in how it conceptualises radicalisation, frames digital media environments, and treats how social workers might intervene across online and offline environments.

A foreword by Tony Stanley (Oranga Tamariki, Aotearoa/New Zealand) sets the stakes: 

“I needed this book 10 years ago when my local authority grappled with the rise of securitization and police dominance in England, a time when just a few of us argued for social work to lead.” 

The book is intended for frontline social workers, mental-health and counter violent extremism practitioners, researchers, and lecturers, as well as policymakers designing prevention programmes.

The book reflects a growing strand of RegNet research on how technology, policy, and practice intersect in the regulation of harm emerging from digital media environments. 

Social Work and Countering Violent Extremism is available via Springer Nature: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-032-07086-