Last updated: October 4, 2018

In 2014, the U.S. government announced a new anti-terrorism initiative in the United States. The program, dubbed Countering Violent Extremism (CVE), aims to deter U.S. residents from joining "violent extremist" groups by bringing community and religious leaders together with law enforcement, health professionals, teachers and social service employees. Attorney General Eric Holder announced a White House CVE summit and three CVE pilot programs to begin in Boston, Minneapolis, and Los Angeles.

These programs, however, are not new. CVE programs have existed for some time, often with dubious results. And while purportedly aimed at rooting out all violent extremism, they have previously focused only on Muslims, stigmatizing them as a suspect community. These programs have further promoted flawed theories of terrorist radicalization which lead to unnecessary fear, discrimination, and unjustified reporting to law enforcement.

This resource page is intended to provide journalists, policy-makers, and the public information about CVE programs so that informed decisions can be made regarding whether and how they should be implemented in the future.

CVE in the Trump Administration

Reliance on the debunked theory of radicalization:

Exploitation of community outreach for intelligence purposes:

Community and Civil Liberties' Groups Concerns about CVE programs:

CVE on the International Front

CVE and Technology

Scholarship questioning the efficacy of CVE programs:

Concerns over right-wing violent radicalization:

Concerns over the FBI's "Don't Be a Puppet" Initiative in Schools:

Proposed frameworks for CVE pilot programs: