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Frontiers Research Topic: Advancing Social Cohesion and Violence Prevention through Sport-Based Interventions

Manuscript Summary deadline: 13APR2026
Full Manuscript deadline: 24SEP2026

The call invites both theoretical and empirical contributions that examine how sport-based interventions can strengthen social cohesion, prevent violence (including violent extremism), and support peacebuilding across diverse contexts.

Sport for development and peace, particularly its intersection with violence prevention and deradicalization, has garnered increasing scholarly and policy interest over the past decade. Despite mounting evidence of sports’ potential to contribute not just to individual well-being, but to wider social goals, communities worldwide continue to grapple with the persistent threats of violent extremism and radicalization. Traditional security-oriented approaches, though crucial, often neglect the complex social, psychological, and environmental factors that underlie extremist behavior, leading to a growing demand for more integrative, preventative, and community-centered responses. Recent research points to the unique position of sports in fostering inclusion, pro-social values, constructive identity formation, and alternative narratives, all of which may function as protective factors against violent extremism, particularly among at-risk youth. However, the evidence base remains fragmented, with ongoing debates regarding the underlying mechanisms, contextual effectiveness, and possible unintended outcomes of sport-centric interventions.  

This Research Topic aims to enhance scientific and practical understanding of how sport-based interventions can help prevent radicalization, counter violent extremism, and promote social cohesion in diverse and often fragile contexts. By advancing theoretical and empirical work, the research seeks to answer key questions: What are the pathways through which sport contributes to deradicalization and peacebuilding? How do individual, community, and structural variables mediate these effects? What practices and policies optimize outcomes while minimizing risks? We encourage contributions that examine the multifaceted impacts of sport, including its potential to foster resilience, facilitate intergroup dialogue, promote positive youth development, and support the integration or reintegration of individuals exposed to radical ideologies.

Focusing on the use of sport in violent extremism prevention and social cohesion, this Research Topic welcomes work that examines both its transformative potential and its limitations. We invite analyses at the individual, community, organizational, and policy levels across various cultural, geographic, and political settings. To gather further insights in these areas, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:

• Case studies of effective and challenging sports-based programs for deradicalization and social cohesion
• Community sports programs in conflict-affected and divided societies
• Gender-sensitive approaches to sports for peace and violence prevention
• Identity formation, resilience, and resistance to extremist discourse through sports
• Methodological innovations in evaluating sports interventions for peacebuilding
• Pathways linking sports participation and the reduction of violent extremism
• Policy frameworks and partnerships facilitating sports-based violence prevention

This is a valuable opportunity for scholars working at the intersection of sport, social cohesion, and violence prevention to contribute to this growing field and engage with an international network of researchers.