Violence Bern's specialist office for radicalization records increased demand

In 2023, the Radicalization and Violence Prevention Unit of the City of Bern conducted significantly more consultations on the topic of radicalization than in the previous year. The majority of the 29 inquiries were related to religious radicalization, as the city announced on Wednesday.

Around two thirds of the people who were on the path to radicalization or had already been radicalized were men. In addition, the majority of those affected were teenagers or young adults, according to the city's statement.

A good two thirds of the suspected cases were reported by professionals, while in other cases parents or close relatives sought advice.

Since the creation of the specialist unit in 2014, the need for advice has fluctuated greatly, as stated in the press release with reference to the annual report. In 2022, 15 people made use of the service. The City of Bern mainly attributes the significant increase compared to the previous year to increased awareness-raising by the employees of the specialist units.

The Radicalization and Violence Prevention Unit is the point of contact for questions and advice on the topics of radicalization, extremism and related violence. The City of Bern created the specialist unit in light of the recruitment activities of the Islamic State terrorist organization.