# Preventing Violent Extremism **Entity class:** Prevention policy framework **Domain:** International counterterrorism / development / governance **Aliases:** PVE **Maturity:** Developed ## Definition **Preventing violent extremism (PVE)** emphasizes upstream, non-coercive measures intended to reduce recruitment, mobilization, and support for violent extremist activity. The United Nations framework connects prevention to conflict prevention, governance, participation, human rights, education, employment, gender equality, and strategic communication. PVE overlaps with [[wiki/Countering Violent Extremism|CVE]], but the “prevention” label often signals attention to protective conditions before a person enters a criminal or operational pathway. Programs still require a specific theory of change and outcome evaluation; broad social policy should not be relabeled counterterrorism without evidence. ## Relationships - **international framework:** [[wiki/Counterterrorism|Counterterrorism]]. - **overlaps with:** [[wiki/Countering Violent Extremism|Countering Violent Extremism]]. - **national program example:** [[wiki/Prevent Strategy|Prevent Strategy]]. - **protective methods:** [[wiki/Cognitive Security|Cognitive Security]] and community resilience. ## Sources / Provenance - [United Nations — Plan of Action to Prevent Violent Extremism](https://www.un.org/counterterrorism/en/plan-of-action-to-prevent-violent-extremism)