ARE YOU CONCERNED ABOUT A LOVED ONE?
We run the nation’s first and only free & confidential intervention helpline for families struggling with a loved one’s extreme behaviors. Our free and confidential helpline will help you understand and address your loved one’s attraction to extreme beliefs and behaviors. Call us at 844-49-PEACE (844-497-3223) or email us at help@parents4peace.org.
We are not a crisis line. In case of emergency, contact 911 or 988 immediately.
About Parents For Peace
Parents for Peace offers education, support, and skill-building resources to assist American families in navigating the challenges posed by extreme beliefs and behaviors. In some cases, these beliefs might push individuals to join extremist movements. Our goal: resilient families, safer communities.
- Withdrawing from family and friends?
- Secretive about their online activities?
- Constantly redirecting conversations to their new beliefs or ideology?
- Drastically changing their appearance or behavior according to their new belief? (e.g. tattoos, clothing, haircut, diet)
- Experiencing significant changes in mood? (e.g. irritability or depression)
How Do I Report?
We want to help. Call our toll-free helpline at 844-49-PEACE (844-497-3223) or email us at help@parents4peace.org. We operate our helpline Monday – Friday, from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm (Eastern). In case of emergency, please contact 911 or 988 immediately.
What Happens After I Report?
After your initial call and intake with our helpline, we’ll provide you with personalized support. Our family-centered care team will educate you on the radicalization process and collaborate with you to develop a customized toolbox for assisting the person you’re concerned about. Our approach includes direct intervention options that can involve the individual of concern.
Understanding the deep shame and self-doubt that many families of individuals with extreme beliefs face, we provide a confidential environment for families to truly grasp that they are not alone. In our Circles, moderated by our experts, families connect, share experiences, and find solace in the understanding of others facing similar challenges.
In collaboration with Georgia State University, we’re offering a complimentary pilot program designed for individuals interested in positive life transitions, away from extreme beliefs and behaviors. The program offers insights into understanding challenges, promoting recovery, and fostering reintegration, and upon successful completion, awards certificates for Peer Support Specialists.
Why Should I Report A Concern?
Left unchecked, some extreme beliefs and behaviors may eventually lead to severe, potentially violent outcomes for the individual, their family, and society. If concerned, contact our helpline today.
Is Law Enforcement Involved?
Parents For Peace is not affiliated with any Governmental or Law Enforcement entities.
We Are Not Here To Judge, We Are Here To Help
As one of our co-founders, Monica Holley, often reminds us, “this is a no-judgment zone.” We understand that no one is born an extremist, nor does radicalization happen overnight. It is a complex issue that can affect any family. The important thing to remember is that you are not alone in this struggle. Parents for Peace is here to help you.
Our interventions involve educating and guiding families and their loved ones to a healthy path of recovery. Our intervention teams (including Exit Interventionists and Intervention Specialists) work through specific and agreed-upon goals with our participants, working to get to the core issues driving the initial turn to extremism. When properly understood, the same vulnerabilities exploited by extremist recruiters can instead become openings for healthy engagement.
What Signs Should I Be Looking For?
Engagement with hateful ideologies and groups looks different for every person. As an intimate bystander (e.g., parent, friend, partner, spouse), you are one of the first people to witness unusual behavior or have conversations with your loved ones about their hateful ideology or extremist group membership.
Common signs include:
- Ideological obsession, or a persistent focus on extremist views. In your loved one, this might look like (i) constantly talking about the ideology, (ii) looping on the components of the ideology, (iii) an infatuation with one or more individuals associated with the ideology, and (iv) having a strong desire to be argumentative about core components of their ideology.
- Appearance changes or unexpected shifts in clothing, hairstyles, or tattoos tied to hateful ideologies. In your loved one, this might look like (i) sudden changes in clothing, (ii) new haircut associated with a specific ideology, (iii) new tattoos associated with specific ideology, and a (iv) desire to get rid of pieces of clothing from their life prior to adhering to the ideology and/or extremist group member.
- Social isolation, or pulling away from loved ones and further aligning with the hate group. In your loved one, this might look like (i) pulling away from loved ones and friends, including family, friends, social groups, and activities, (ii) dropping. out of school or university, (iii) neglecting social interaction with peers, and (iv) pulling back from social interactions within their professional environment.
If you are concerned about a loved one but are not sure they are radicalizing or are radicalized, please call our helpline today!
What Can I Do Now If I’m Worried About A Loved One?
- Connect and Engage: Extremist groups prey on unresolved grievances (defined as real or imagined wrong or other cause for complaint, protest, or violence), fear, anxiety, and uncertainty. Strengthen your bond with your loved one to counteract this influence by
- engaging in shared activities like watching movies, cooking, or playing games. Your time with them is a powerful affirmation that they are valued.
- encouraging dialogue with open-ended questions, allowing them to express themselves.
- Limit Media Exposure: With the pervasive nature of media, it’s vital to shield young minds from harmful content. Try to minimize exposure to distressing news and alarming material.
- Prioritize Self-Care: Coping with a loved one’s engagement in hateful ideologies is stressful. Remember, your well-being is crucial in helping them disengage. Allocate time for activities and interactions with family and friends to mitigate stress.
- Seek Professional Support: Don’t face this challenge alone. Call our confidential helpline at 1-844-497-3223. For immediate threats, contact emergency services at 911 or 988 for mental health crises.
What Happens When I Call Parents for Peace?
1. Contact Us – You can call our helpline at (1-844-497-3223) or email us at help@parents4peace.org. Please let us know the best times to connect with you in your message.
2. Intake Process – Chat with a helpline operator! During this 30 to 60-minute-long discussion, the helpline staff member will get to know you and your reason for calling.
3. Schedule Intervention Sessions – After your intake call, a case coordinator will reach out to schedule regular sessions with a team of exit interventionists trained to educate, coach, and support you.
4. Participate in Intervention Sessions – Parents for Peace provides two types of intervention sessions: indirect and direct intervention sessions.
- Indirect Intervention Sessions – As an intimate bystander (e.g., parents, friends, partners, etc.), you will meet with our team of interventionists to educate you on the radicalization process and work with you to develop a toolbox to help the person you are concerned about. We also provide intervention sessions for or that incorporate the individual of concern.
- Direct Intervention Sessions – As an individual who is looking to leave an extremist group or movement, you will meet with our team of interventionists, who will support you through this process.
5. Off-Ramping – Ideally, once your situation is on a healthy and steady path to recovery, we will start speaking to you about off-ramping and decreasing the services provided by P4P. In this phase, we will also evaluate what secondary services might be of assistance to you.
Parents for Peace helpline and intervention services are offered free of charge to participants. As a participant in P4P programming, you can initiate a pause or terminate services at any time.
“SAFETY is a COMMUNITY EFFORT”
Castro Community On Patrol (Castro Patrol / CCOP) is a California nonprofit volunteer safety patrol and education corporation that focuses on enhancing safety and security of the Castro neighborhood in San Francisco for residents, businesses, employees, and visitors.
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Castro Community On Patrol, 584 Castro Street #731, San Francisco, CA 94114
Federal 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation Tax ID: 99-1829349
We acknowledge that we are on the ancestral lands of the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe of the San Francisco Bay Region. We honor the Indigenous peoples who have stewarded this land for generations. We recognize the ongoing connection of the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe to this land. We pay respect to the elders, past, present, and emerging. We commit to supporting Indigenous rights and sovereignty. We encourage learning about the history and culture of the local tribes throughout California and the World.