Documenting and preventing violence

Our approach

With a multidisciplinary approach and a focus on action research, our research unit is organized around three areas of action.

1 - Developing scientific expertise

The research unit’s mandate includes developing scientific expertise and knowledge on radicalization leading to violence, hate-motivated acts and gun violence, taking into account the prevention strategies in use. Its commitments in this regard are to:

• Document, in all their diversity, the phenomena of radicalization leading to violence, hate-motivated acts and gun violence observed across Québec.
• Develop Québec-based expertise in research on hate crimes and hate incidents, as well as on the dynamics associated with gun violence.
• Identify trends in radicalization leading to violence, hate-motivated acts and gun violence — in Québec, in Canada and internationally — and monitor the scientific knowledge produced on these topics.
• Publish research reports and thematic briefs on issues specific to radicalization leading to violence, hate-motivated acts and gun violence.
• Establish scientific collaborations with universities and research centres to carry out action-research projects on these prevention issues.

2 - Developing practical tools, training content and prevention strategies

The research unit contributes to the development of practical tools, training content and prevention strategies. Its involvement takes many forms:

• Identify international best practices in preventing radicalization leading to violence, hate crimes and incidents, and gun violence.
• Create practical prevention tools for frontline workers and the various settings concerned — schools, community organizations, institutions, the private sector, etc. — particularly on issues of radicalization, hate and gun violence.
• Develop prevention strategies and programs adapted to the realities observed on the ground.
• Define the content of the training offered by Cities Without Violence in its main areas of action.
• Inform psychosocial intervention and support practices based on scientific knowledge produced internationally, particularly on radicalization, hate-motivated acts and gun violence.
• Evaluate the effectiveness of the prevention strategies implemented to address radicalization leading to violence, combat hate crimes and incidents, and prevent gun violence.

3 - Disseminating and sharing knowledge
The body of scientific knowledge built by the research unit must be accessible to the community and enriched through the mutual sharing of knowledge. To that end, the unit’s involvement is active and rests on specific goals:

• Ensure the transfer of acquired knowledge to practice settings, frontline workers and partners directly engaged in preventing radicalization leading to violence, hate crimes and incidents, or gun violence — in Québec, in Canada and internationally.
• Develop institutional partnerships to support the training of young researchers interested in radicalization leading to violence, hate-motivated acts, gun violence and the related prevention issues.
• Build connections with researchers working in fields and areas of interest shared with Cities Without Violence.
• Contribute to the sharing and dissemination of knowledge among scientific communities, public actors and prevention practitioners (radicalization leading to violence, hate crimes and incidents, and gun violence) — in Québec, in Canada and abroad — by taking part in or organizing various scientific activities (conferences, academic symposia, etc.).