Known cases of violent radicalization in Quebec and the rest of Canada confirm that no single profile fits all radicalized individuals. However, there are a number of behaviours that are frequently associated with the process of radicalization. The Centre for the Prevention of Radicalization Leading to Violence (CPRLV) developed a prevention tool, the “Behaviour Barometer”, baseed on these behaviours to help the public differentiate between behaviours that are cause for concern and those that are not.
Designed as an education and awareness tool for the general public together with front-line workers, schools, social services and professional communities, the Behaviour Barometer makes radicalization leading to violence easier to understand, and identifies early warning signs to watch for.
The barometer divides behaviours that may be associated with radicalization into four colour-coded categories based on the degree of severity: insignificant , troubling, worrisome and alarming.
The barometer makes it easier to interpret the significance of observed behaviours properly. Certain behaviours may seem serious when they are not in fact important in terms of radicalization (displaying visible signs of identity, for example, is not a critical factor). Other behaviours, however, might normally be dismissed as insignificant or misunderstood when they should act as red flags for people around the individual (e.g. the expression of dehumanizing views about other individuals or groups is classified under worrisome behaviour).
The Behaviour Barometer is designed to serve as a pedagogical tool and must not be considered a comprehensive screening or detection tool for radicalization. It is designed primarily to help persons concerned about a loved one to identify behaviours them should keep an eye on.
Anyone wishing to use the CPRLV barometer should know that any given individual’s behaviours will not generally all fall under a single category on the barometer. In fact, a person may display a range of behaviours spanning all four categories at once. Very often individuals will display a combination of behaviours ranging from so-called insignificant behaviours to so-called worrisome behaviours.
This is why it is important that the barometer not be used to carry out a purely qualitative behavioural assessment (concentrating on which category the most behaviours fall under) but rather a qualitative assessment (taking into consideration which behaviours are most significant in terms of the way the individual functions).
It is always vital to take into account the fact that some of an individual’s behaviours may be the result of other issues unrelated to radicalization, such as the person’s state of mental health or an adolescent oppositional disorder. This is why the observation of radicalization-related behaviours must form part of a global assessment to rule out any other explanations for such behaviours.
The barometer can be used to provide the public with information on observable behaviours associated with violent radicalization or help family members and friends of individuals affected by radicalization to keep an eye out for relevant signs.
However, the CPRLV strongly advises any person using the barometer to call the Info-Radical hotline (514 687 7141 in Montréal, and 1 877 687 7141 elsewhere in Quebec) for help understanding and interpreting a third party’s behaviours.
The barometer is not a clinical assessment tool. CPRLV professionals will be able to assist in developing a more reliable, thorough and precise assessment of the situation and, if necessary, in determining possible avenues for intervention.
