Phase Two of the National Research Project funded by the Department of Home Affairs: Announcement of Successful Applicants

1. Evaluation of an Autism and CVE Community of Practice for CVE Practitioners in Australia

• Dr. Vicki Gibbs, Autism Spectrum Australia/ University of Sydney

• Professor Debra Smith, Victoria University

• Professor Natalie Pyszora, Department of Health, WA

• Dr. Abigail Love, Autism Spectrum Australia

Abstract:

This project will trial and evaluate a virtual Community of Practice (CoP) to help countering violent extremism practitioners build their knowledge and confidence when working with autistic people. CVE teams across Australia support individuals at risk of radicalisation, but many practitioners lack the tools and guidance to work effectively with autistic young people. Using the ECHO model, a research-informed tele-education approach, the CoP will offer expert-led, case-based learning sessions to improve understanding of autism, including both the support needs and personal factors that may increase vulnerability or promote resilience in the context of radicalisation. The project will also evaluate the impact of the CoP using surveys, attendance data, and interviews to measure participation, satisfaction, learning, and competence. This project aims to equip CVE practitioners with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to better support autistic people in their programs. It will also evaluate a scalable, evidence-based model of professional learning that can be adopted nationally.

2. Hate networks: Online Polarisation and Attacks on Jewish and Muslim communities in Australia

• Dr. Andrea Giovannetti, Australian Catholic University, Sydney

• Associate Professor Matteo Vergani, Deakin University, Melbourne

Abstract:

This project seeks to address how societal polarisation and tensions contribute to violent extremism, including attacks on people and property. In particular, this project will look at the escalation of tensions involving the Australian Jewish and Muslim communities in the aftermath of the October 7th attacks and the subsequent war in Gaza.  This project will examine the relationship between online hostility targeting these communities and real-world incidents of violent extremism in Australia using advanced statistical methods. The primary aim of this project is to identify shifts in online network dynamics that can serve as reliable indicators for the risk of offline hate incidents. By doing so, the research seeks to provide actionable warnings that can help in deploying early interventions to mitigate the risk of politically motivated and prejudice motivated crime, to enhance community safety and cohesion.

3. Developing an evidence-based framework for Australian online violence prevention through international best practices and innovations, contextualised and validated against Australian practitioner experience

• Moonshot CVE Ltd

• Lise Waldek, Macquarie University, Sydney

• Dr. Kristy Campion, Charles Sturt University, Canberra

Abstract:

The research focuses on international best practices and innovations in understanding and addressing new and emerging forms of violent extremism online, contextualised and verified through Australian stakeholders’ experience. Moonshot’s approach will draw on analyses of social media, policymaker and practitioner insights, and key learnings from global online violence prevention models. The approach seeks to contextualise the online threat environment in Australia, and identify alignment and divergences in the needs and requirements of key stakeholders involved in online prevention. Actionable insights and recommendations for policy and practitioner interventions will be developed to produce an evidence-based framework for Australian online violence prevention.

3. From Discourse to Violence: Disinformation, Polarised Grievances, and AI and Forensic Linguistics for CVE

• Dr. Awni Etaywe, Charles Darwin University

• Professor Mamoun Alazab, Charles Darwin University

• Dr. Kate Macfarlane, Charles Darwin University

• Dr. Abdullah Alamoodi, Charles Darwin University

Abstract:

This project investigates how disinformation, social polarisation, and grievances contribute to violent extremism and radicalisation. It examines how these elements inform extremist appeals, recruitment processes, and justification strategies, and how they can be effectively identified and countered. Central to this inquiry is decoding extreme stances and understanding the role of discourse as a performative tool that mobilises in-group affiliations, forges convergent and divergent bonds, fosters extreme loyalty and identity fusion, and legitimises violence. Focusing on jihadist and extreme far-right ideologies—along with relevant conspiracy theories that often underpin disinformation—the study analyses the patterning and functioning of linguistic and semiotic constructions of extremist narratives within specialised corpora of manifestos, magazines, and propaganda materials. Employing an interdisciplinary AI-assisted forensic semiotic framework, the project seeks to uncover the discursive and rhetorical mechanisms that fuel radicalisation and violent extremist communication.

4. Disrupting disinformation ecologies to address (violent) extremism through city-based initiatives

• Prof. Helen Sullivan, Australian National University (ANU)

• Dr. Vivian Gerrand, Deakin University

• Ika Trijsburg, Australian National University

• Associate Professor Mario Peucker, Victoria University

Abstract:

This project aims to tackle current disinformation dynamics by identifying examples of local ‘grey’, alternative narrative responses that meet people where they are and support critical-thinking and social capital resource allocation. Local, city-based and alternative narrative approaches to addressing disinformation ecosystems represent a compelling way forward within this predicament. These whole-of-society approaches respond to and disrupt disinformation ecologies, thereby also serving to depolarise communities, restoring social cohesion and trust in governments. Drawing on our long-term research in these areas, our project will identify targeted high impact disinformation interventions through a global survey and through two expert-convenings in the United Kingdom and in Australia, bringing together world-leading best practices to understand, through a cities-based lens, the specific ways in which evolving disinformation ecologies are driving polarisation and (violent) extremism, and how governments can most effectively respond to them.

5. Preventing (Conspiracy-Fuelled) Violent Extremism in Australia: Evidence, Interventions, and Actionable Insights

• Dr. Bettina Rottweiler, University of Nebraska at Omaha

• Dr. Caitlin Clemmow, University College London

• Professor Troy McEwan, Swinburne University

Abstract:

The COVID-19 pandemic, the rise of social media, and the growth of anti-institutional movements have led to declining levels of trust in our political and government institutions and to increasing social polarisation within our societies. This is compounded by political elites and (social) media figures increasingly propagating extreme rhetoric and disinformation. We focus on conspiracy theories as a strategic mode of delivering disinformation to large audiences, contributing to important real-world consequences, including violent extremism. In Australia, the 2022 anti-authority protests demonstrate how conspiratorial and extremist narratives can drive criminal action, and in some instances, violence (Bavas & Nguyen, 2021; Khalil & Roose 2023). Drawing on international best practice frameworks, will examine and define the complex relationship between conspiracy theories, social polarisation, and grievance development - unpacking their functional relevance to violent extremist ideologies leading to susceptibility to violent extremism in Australia. Next, we will systematically review the evidence for interventions designed to counter belief in conspiracy theories and summarise this as an accessible and interactive Evidence & Gap Map and translate the project’s findings into actionable insights for policy and practice.

We look forward to seeing the valuable contributions these research projects will make to policy and practice in Australia.

We are pleased to announce the successful applicants for Phase 2 of the National Research Project, Countering Violent Extremism research that supports policy and practice in Australia, funded by the Department of Home Affairs. The AVERT Research Network received a strong response from researchers and practitioners across the country and globally. We thank all applicants for their interest and commitment to advancing knowledge in this critical area. We are excited to share the following successful projects: