What is CVE?

Where did it come from?

Countering Violent Extremism is a federal counter-terror program that claims to 'deter' people from becoming terrorists, by partnering with local community agencies, schools, law enforcement and health providers.

CVE programs were started in 2011, by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and the Department of Justice (DOJ).  

Young Muslims speak out against CVE

“A lot of what people generally think of as dangerous about CVE is that it disproportionately targets Muslims. But that’s not the only reason it’s dangerous—that’s why it’s racist. Why it’s dangerous is that it’s really based on debunked theories of radicalization that end up criminalizing First-Amendment-protected rights.” - Fatema Ahmad, Muslim Justice League Deputy Director

We will not be participating in any CVE programs, and we strongly encourage other mental health professionals to also refuse for the following reasons: We will not spy on our patients. We do not read minds, and we know that none of us can predict the future. We know of several non-punitive approaches to helping ALL kids resist ALL recruitment to violence.  They are not high tech and they do not involve the FBI. They involve listening and talking to kids, mentoring kids, educating kids and helping them find paths to meaningful lives, honoring their communities here and any communities they are connected with in the US or elsewhere, and taking their grievances seriously. - Psychologists Alice LoCicero and J. Wesley Boyd