Good stories well told? Former right-wing extremists’ self-narratives in German schools for preventing hate, radicalization, and violence

Abstract

This paper concentrates on German school interventions with former right-wing extremists for preventive and educational purposes, in view of storytelling. The involvement of former extremists in schools is associated with well-intentioned aims and various assumptions about impacts and attributions. However, current research reveals that these projects feature more challenges than positive potentials. Thus, in this paper we take former right-wing extremists’ self-narratives during these school talk interventions as a starting point for an in-depth examination of potential risks and challenges. Considering the present state of the art, we attempt to provide preliminary answers to the questions of whom these projects target, why they are conducted, what are their contents, and how they transfer information. In sum, we are inclined to conclude that caution is advisable when contemplating such interventions for educational settings with young people.