Lotta Rahlf
Lotta Rahlf is a Doctoral Candidate in the EU-wide Marie Skłodowska-Curie Doctoral Network VORTEX at PRIF and part of the Research Group on Radicalization, Terrorism, and Extremism Prevention. In her PhD project, she analyzes both knowledge management and evaluation structures in extremism prevention, compared across Europe.
Press photo
CV
| seit 2025
Mentee in the mentoring program of the EU Knowledge Hub on Prevention of Radicalisation
| since 2025
Lecturer on extremism, Police Department, Hessian University of Public Management and Security (Mühlheim Campus)
| 2023–2024
Member of Radicalisation Awareness Network YOUNG Plattform
| since 2023
PhD Student in the EU Marie Skłodowska-Curie Doctoral Network VORTEX at PRIF
| 2023
Researcher in the research project PrEval at PRIF
| 2022
Intern at the Mobile Counseling Service against Right-Wing Extremism Berlin
| 2022
Research Associate at the Handa Centre for the Study of Terrorism and Political Violence, University of St Andrews, in the research project “Constraining Violence” (CREST)
| 2022
Research Associate at the Handa Centre for the Study of Terrorism and Political Violence, University of St Andrews, in the Campbell study “Case management interventions seeking to counter radicalisation to violence”
| 2022
MLitt Terrorism and Political Violence, University of St Andrews, United Kingdom
| 2021–2022
Scholarship holder of the German Academic Exchange Service
| 2021
B.A. International Relations and International Organization, Rijksuniversiteit Groningen, Netherlands
| 2018–2023
Scholarship holder of the German National Academic Foundation
PhD Project
In her dissertation, Lotta Rahlf examines the institutionalization of evaluation and quality assurance in the prevention of extremism in twelve European countries. The doctoral project analyzes how and why European states use evaluation to varying degrees as an instrument of both external control (for example in funding structures) and self-regulation (as part of political strategies).
Theoretically, the work combines approaches from governance, institutionalization and evaluation research and develops an analytical framework to systematically and comparatively map and explain national differences in the institutionalization of evaluation and quality assurance. Empirically, the study includes a comparative overview of twelve European countries and the embedding of evaluation and quality assurance in funding structures and political strategies for the prevention of extremism. In addition, a Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) will be carried out to identify necessary and sufficient conditions as well as in-depth analyses of Germany and Norway.
The project makes a relevant contribution to research and practice in three respects: It offers a theoretically sound and operationalizable concept for the institutionalization of evaluation in the prevention of extremism, a comparative empirical mapping of the prevention of extremism and its evaluation structures, and a methodological innovation through the linking of QCA and process tracing. The dissertation is being written as part of the EU-funded Marie Skłodowska-Curie doctoral network VORTEX and thus also makes a contribution to the evidence-based design of European extremism prevention.
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Discussion about research design and methodology of radicalization research
Publications
- Lösungsansätze für wirkungsorientierte Monitoring- und Evaluationszyklen in der Sekundär- und Tertiärprävention
| 2025
Haux, Simon; Koynova, Svetla; Rahlf, Lotta (2025): Lösungsansätze für wirkungsorientierte Monitoring- und Evaluationszyklen in der Sekundär- und Tertiärprävention, INTERVENTIONEN – Zeitschrift für Verantwortungspädagogik, 19, 20–25.
Publication - P/CVE in Europe
| 2024
Rahlf, Lotta (2024): P/CVE in Europe. Still dominated by the state, IAPSS Review, 1, 18–19.
Publication - Participatory Theatre for Preventing Violent Extremism Through Education – Reflections on Prospects and Preconditions
| 2024
Rahlf, Lotta (2024): Participatory Theatre for Preventing Violent Extremism Through Education – Reflections on Prospects and Preconditions, Journal for Deradicalization, Summer 2024: 39, 77–93.
Publication - Case management interventions seeking to counter radicalisation to violence and related forms of violence: A systematic review
| 2024
Lewis, James; Marsden, Sarah; Cherney, Adrian; Rahlf, Lotta; Squires, Chloe; Peterschek, Anne (2024): Case management interventions seeking to counter radicalisation to violence and related forms of violence: A systematic review, Campbell Systematic Reviews, 20: 2. DOI: 10.1002/cl2.1386 - From Democratic Resistance to Hostility against a “Covid-Regime” – Conspiracy Theories as Cross-Milieu Catalysts of Radicalization
| 2023
Rahlf, Lotta (2023): From Democratic Resistance to Hostility against a “Covid-Regime” – Conspiracy Theories as Cross-Milieu Catalysts of Radicalization, Studies in Conflict & Terrorism. DOI: 10.1080/1057610X.2023.2169894 - Beyond Healthy Skepticism: Exploring German News Media Framing of Terrorism-Affiliated Women Returnees
| 2021
Rahlf, Lotta (2021): Beyond Healthy Skepticism: Exploring German News Media Framing of Terrorism-Affiliated Women Returnees, Studies in Conflict & Terrorism: Routledge.
Publication
- What potential does outcome harvesting have for evaluating P/CVE?
| 2025
Rahlf, Lotta (2025): What potential does outcome harvesting have for evaluating P/CVE? , VORTEX Blog.
Publication - Harnessing the Potential of Evaluation: Structural Possibilities for Evaluation within Organisations in the Field of Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism
| 2025
Rahlf, Lotta (2025): Harnessing the Potential of Evaluation: Structural Possibilities for Evaluation within Organisations in the Field of Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism, VORTEX.
Publication - Securing What Has Been Built and Not Wasting Opportunities for Professionalisation in German P/CVE, Civic Education, and Democracy Promotion
| 2025
Rahlf, Lotta (2025): Securing What Has Been Built and Not Wasting Opportunities for Professionalisation in German P/CVE, Civic Education, and Democracy Promotion, VORTEX.
Publication - Networking Conferences in the Field of Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism and Terrorism: Opportunities and Challenges
| 2025
Rahlf, Lotta (2025): Networking Conferences in the Field of Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism and Terrorism: Opportunities and Challenges, VORTEX Blog.
Publication - AfD in Power? Three Doomsday Scenarios for the German PCVE Landscape
| 2025
Rahlf, Lotta (2025): AfD in Power? Three Doomsday Scenarios for the German PCVE Landscape, VORTEX Blog.
Publication - Democracy under Threat
| 2025
Rahlf, Lotta (2025): Democracy under Threat. What to Do Against Attacks Against Politicians in Germany?, VORTEX Blog.
Publication - A Case for Stable Funding Structures for ‘Live Democracy!’ and Similar State Programmes
| 2025
Rahlf, Lotta (2025): A Case for Stable Funding Structures for ‘Live Democracy!’ and Similar State Programmes, VORTEX Blog.
Publication - Bericht der Zukunftswerkstatt Evaluationsdatenbank
| 2024
Kober, Marcus; Rahlf, Lotta; Logvinov, Mikhail; Junk, Julian; Becker, Helle; Kindlinger, Marcus (2024): Bericht der Zukunftswerkstatt Evaluationsdatenbank, Frankfurt/M..
Publication - PrEval Monitor 2024: Extremismusprävention, Demokratieförderung und politische Bildung durch Evaluation stärken. Ergebnisse und Empfehlungen aus dem PrEval-Netzwerk
| 2024
PrEval Monitor 2024: Extremismusprävention, Demokratieförderung und politische Bildung durch Evaluation stärken. Ergebnisse und Empfehlungen aus dem PrEval-Netzwerk, PrEval Monitor, 1. Auflage, Frankfurt/M. DOI: 10.48809/PrEvalMon24
Publication - Democracy Under Threat: Attacks on Politicians in Germany
| 2024
Rahlf, Lotta (2024): Democracy Under Threat: Attacks on Politicians in Germany , VORTEX Blog.
Publication - How Do We Know What Works in Preventing Violent Extremism? Evidence and Trends in Evaluation from 14 Countries
| 2024
Bressan, Sarah; Ebbecke, Sophia; Rahlf, Lotta (2024): How Do We Know What Works in Preventing Violent Extremism? Evidence and Trends in Evaluation from 14 Countries, GPPi Report, Berlin.
Publication - Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism in Europe: Expert Views on Contemporary Challenges
| 2024
Rahlf, Lotta (2024): Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism in Europe: Expert Views on Contemporary Challenges, VORTEX Blog.
Publication - Re-focusing Family Counselling in Extremism Prevention
| 2024
Rahlf, Lotta (2024): Re-focusing Family Counselling in Extremism Prevention, VORTEX Blog.
Publication - Historical Context and the Good Lives Model
| 2024
Rahlf, Lotta (2024): Historical Context and the Good Lives Model, CREST Report: Centre for Research and Evidence on Security Threats (CREST), 1–16.
Publication - On the challenges of evaluating efforts to prevent a causally complex phenomenon such as violent extremism
| 2024
Rahlf, Lotta (2024): On the challenges of evaluating efforts to prevent a causally complex phenomenon such as violent extremism, VORTEX Blog.
Publication - Evaluating extremism prevention efforts: Insights from 14 countries
| 2023
Rahlf, Lotta; Ebbecke, Sophia; Bressan, Sarah; Herz, Angela (2023): Evaluating extremism prevention efforts: Insights from 14 countries. Interview with the PrEval working package on International Monitoring, PrEval.
Publication - Good Lives in Right-Wing Extremist Autobiographies
| 2023
Rahlf, Lotta; Paalgard Munden, Hanna; Marsden, Sarah; Bhuiyan, Kamruzzaman; Rigault Arkhis, Hanna; Taylor, Aimee (2023): Good Lives in Right-Wing Extremist Autobiographies: Centre for Research and Evidence on Security Threats. - Is the Nature of War Changing? Time to Avoid a Supposedly Unavoidable Question
| 2021
Rahlf, Lotta (2021): Is the Nature of War Changing? Time to Avoid a Supposedly Unavoidable Question: E-International Relations.
Publication
- End-to-End Encryption and Counterterrorism – Untying the Gordian Knot with State Hacking?
| 2022
Rahlf, Lotta (2022): End-to-End Encryption and Counterterrorism – Untying the Gordian Knot with State Hacking?, CSTPV Occasional Paper Series, St Andrews, Scotland: The Handa Centre for the Study of Terrorism and Political Violence.
Publication
Further Activities
- Evaluating efforts to counter violent extremism: How and why evaluation systems differ across Europe, June 17 2024, Nordic Conference on Violent Extremism 2024, June 17–19 2024, Oslo (Norway)
- Evaluating Measures Countering Violent Extremism: Systematic Knowledge Management in Europe, June 6 2024, European Expert Network on Terrorism Issues Annual Conference, June 5–7 2024, Brussels (Belgium)
- P/CVE Support Networks: Lessons from an International Expert Survey in 14 Countries (together with Sophie Ebbecke), November 16 2023, INDEED International Policy & Practitioners Forum, November 15–16 2023, INDEED Consortium, online
- Evaluationswissen für alle? Chancen und Herausforderungen möglicher Zugänge zu Evaluationsberichten (together with Simon Müller), May 5 2023, Wie lässt sich Demokratieförderung messen?, May 9–10 2023, AK Demokratie (DeGEval) und PrEval-Zukunftswerkstätten, Berlin
- „Karamba Diaby: Überraschender Abschied vom Bundestag“ (DW, July 5 2024)
- „Expertin: Die Strategie der Einschüchterung an der Wurzel packen" (MDR, March 5 2024)
- „Gewalt gegen Politiker: Weniger Attacken auf Parteibüros in Sachsen-Anhalt“ (MDR, March 16 2024)
- „Angriffe auf Grünen-Politiker nehmen zu: Betroffener sieht Mitschuld bei „konservativem Lager“ (Frankfurter Rundschau, November 24 2023)
- Gewalt gegen Politiker: Experten schlagen Alarm – "neue Formen des Extremismus" (Watson, October 15 2023)
Transfer events and consultation workshops with federal institutes in the context of PrEval
| 2022
The Lord Sedwill Handa CSTPV Dissertation Prize