RadiGaMe

Despite being high on the counter-extremism agenda, research on the potential nexus between gaming and extremism is still in its infancy. Many important questions about the role of digital gaming spaces within the extremist ecosystem are currently unanswered and systematic empirical studies examining radicalization processes and opportunities to prevent and/or counter extremism within digital gaming spaces, are lacking. This gap in knowledge is particularly pronounced in the German context as existing analyses largely focus on English content, users, groups, and channels.

The RadiGaMe project, funded by the German Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) in the research cluster “Civil security – threats in digital spaces”, seeks to address some of these research gaps. It is aimed at deepening our understanding of radicalization processes in digital gaming spaces, enhance monitoring, detection and investigative tools for law enforcement and security agencies working in the gaming sphere, and improve gaming-related prevention and intervention efforts.

Within the consortium, modusIzad leads efforts in developing evidence-based, innovative opportunities for prevention, intervention, and disengagement work in digital gaming spaces. This includes:

  1. Analysis of the challenges P/CVE practitioners face in the gaming sphere
  2. Conducting (focus group) interviews with P/CVE practitioners and counter-extremism experts to learn more about their experiences, struggles, and needs when developing gaming-related interventions as well as their experiences when cooperating with other relevant actors such as tech companies or law enforcement agencies
  3. Comparing and contrasting of existing knowledge regarding offline radicalization and radicalization on non-gaming social media platforms with research insights on radicalization in digital gaming spaces to deduce learnings for gaming-related P/CVE
  4. Mapping of existing P/CVE efforts in digital gaming spaces, identification of gaps, reflections on how existing P/CVE tools in other digital spaces could be adapted to gaming spaces, and discussions of new, never-before-tested opportunities
  5. Implementation of innovation labs with P/CVE practitioners to discuss promising opportunities for prevention, intervention, and disengagement efforts in digital gaming spaces
  6. Support of our consortium partners’ research efforts, particularly regarding early detection of at-risk users, risk analysis, case management, and cooperative approaches between civil society and law enforcement agencies.

Funding