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<\/p>\nA woman concerned about her young relative’s neo-Nazi beliefs has criticised the Commonwealth’s flagship violent extremism helpline, saying the service provided vague and unhelpful information during her time of need.<\/p>\n
Funded by the federal government, Step Together is a national violent extremism prevention and disengagement program that is administered by the NSW Department of Communities and Justice.<\/p>\n
The Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion this week heard evidence about the service, which includes a hotline and website providing advice on how to support people at risk of becoming involved with violent extremism.<\/p>\n
One woman, who cannot be identified, said she called the Step Together hotline after becoming concerned about a young relative displaying far-right extremism and neo-Nazi beliefs.<\/p>\n
She told the commission she was seeking information about community-led services or psychologists with specialist expertise, but was instead directed to her state’s police-led intervention program.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The royal commission has been sitting in Sydney to examine deradicalisation programs in Australia. (ABC News: Liam Patrick)<\/p>\n
She said she left the call “feeling [her] needs were not being met”.<\/p>\n
“I was directed to a police intervention program which I didn’t feel was appropriate as a first step, to introduce the young person or his family, to a police program,” she said.<\/p>\n
“That’s just escalating it to a point that would not be helpful right now. I don’t believe we need the police right now, I hope we don’t need the police.<\/p>\n
“To say, your child has this issue, let’s go to the police, I don’t think anyone would want to do that at all. For me that’s a last port of call.”<\/p>\n
‘We don’t adopt a practice of direct referral’<\/p>\n
The NSW Department of Communities and Justice’s Heather Jackson told the commission there were limited specialist services available in some jurisdictions, and Step Together did not refer callers to community- led countering violence extremism programs of individuals counsellors.<\/p>\n
“Outside our government partners, we don’t identify particular services,” she said.<\/p>\n
“We don’t adopt a practice of direct referral \u2026 we’d have to endorse that service or believe in that service.”<\/p>\n
She said if the woman were to call again today, she would be met with the same response.<\/p>\n
The anonymous woman was also critical of the Step Together website, saying it was difficult to navigate and did not contain the information she was looking for.<\/p>\n
“There is little or no information about the specific groups or patterns of behaviour, including those associated with far-right extremism or neo-Nazi beliefs, which I found troubling,” she said.<\/p>\n
“To help educate my young relative’s family and myself about the Australian and international groups from which he’d been obtaining information \u2026 I really had to independently research myself.”<\/p>\n
The woman said some of the information on the website appeared to be “misrepresenting” the social and personal harms of someone who had radicalised but was not violent.<\/p>\n
“Your child could be acting out in all manner of ways, but if they’re not blowing something up \u2026 this website’s not for you,” she said.<\/p>\n
Ms Jackson earlier this week said work was underway to refresh the website and raise awareness about the service.<\/p>\n
‘Moral dilemma’ for families<\/p>\n
The woman said, “out of [her] frustration”, she went on to seek alternative support through the community-led initiative Exit Australia, which connected her to an interstate psychologist with relevant expertise.<\/p>\n
She said the most valuable advice the psychologist gave was around family support, and how to “manage the moral dilemma” of trying to help someone who had concerning beliefs.<\/p>\n
“I got to the point where I didn’t believe I could hang in there with the young relative,” she said.<\/p>\n
“As this psychologist and Exit and other people have shared, as best you can, stick with them \u2026 and that is really, really challenging.<\/p>\n
“But I got great support and advice about how to manage that.”<\/p>\n
Clients ‘quite happy’ with police-run programs, inquiry told<\/p>\n
The inquiry also heard from radicalisation researcher Adrian Cherney, who was asked by the commission to assess whether Australia’s countering violent extremism programs were consistent with best practice criteria.<\/p>\n
Counsel assisting Zelie Heger SC put to Professor Cherney from the University of Queensland that some people may be “deterred” from engaging with a program if it was police-led.<\/p>\n
Professor Cherney conceded such a response was possible.<\/p>\n
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<\/p>\n
Adrian Cherney is a professor in the School of Social Science at the University of Queensland. (ABC News)<\/p>\n
But he said he did not find evidence of police involvement acting as a deterrence in his review of countering violent extremism programs in Australia.<\/p>\n
“To some degree, clients were quite happy for police to be managing the program,” he said.<\/p>\n
Professor Cherney said police-led interventions may also be useful in challenging participants’ negative attitudes towards law enforcement.<\/p>\n
The inquiry has adjourned and will return for its final hearing block on Monday.<\/p>\n
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