Sense of belonging
Outcomes
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Individuals are resilient to the personal factors that lead to violent extremism
This outcome relates to building individual resilience and self-confidence and increasing protective factors against an individual’s radicalisation to violent extremism. Individuals who feel a strong sense of worth and are well connected to society (positive relationships with family and friends) are likely to be more resilient against negative anti-social influences that may lead them down a pathway of radicalisation. A lack of a sense of belonging to mainstream society and connectedness to social institutions such as schools can result in individuals seeking alternative avenues to develop a sense of identity. A CVE program may aim to improve self-efficacy (capacity to cope), increase the level of connectedness an individual feels towards his/her local community, or encourage positive behaviours and attitudes towards self, the local community and the wider Australian community.
Ways to measure
See the Countering Violence Extremism Evaluation Indicator Document [Pp 10-29] for practical suggestions on ways to measure such as survey instruments, example questions and using administrative data.
- Sense of Belonging Scale 10-item scale
- Sense of Belonging Scale 5-item scale
- Connection to Community Scale
- Social Trust Scale
- Brief Volunteer Program Outcome Assessment Scale
Evaluations that use this indicator
- Evaluation of a Multi-Faceted, U.S. Community-Based, Muslim-Led CVE Program, Michael Williams, John Horgan, William Evans, US Department of Justice, 2016
- Evaluation of the COMPACT Program, Wise, P., Roberts S. Formosa, J. and Chan, A., Urbis, 2018
- More Than A Game Evaluation Report, McDonald, K., Grossman, M. and Johns, A., Centre for Cultural Diversity and Wellbeing, Victoria University, 2012