Zero recidivism for more than 10 years is something to celebrate. Exit has worked with hundreds and reached thousands of people through our programming. From individuals to families, from online to offline, the impact of our work is evident and long-lasting. Sometimes we get questions about the efficacy and impact of our work. At times it seems nearly impossible to measure success when talking about the absence of violence and the prevention of harm, and yet, change in behavior and change in life trajectory are evidenced by many things, including the following stories from our team – the frontline workers in this critical mission.
A longtime team member recently shared that, “Success looks like a participant starting their time at LAH by not sharing any personal information with our team and using a pseudonym. Over time, as they build rapport with their case manager, they begin to open up and share more about their lives, learn new ways of thinking, and disengage from their hate-fueled ideology. By the end of the year, they left the extremist group they belonged to. Over the following year, they shared their wins and accomplishments in check-ins; one particular win included enrolling in university, expanding their hopes for the future, eventually sharing their first name, and even disclosing that they found someone who accepted them to share their life with.”
These are the success stories that unfold over weeks, months, and even years of support. Real change doesn’t take weeks or even a few months; it requires methodical, consistent progress over time. It requires relearning how to interact on a human level so that dehumanizing another person is never an option again.
One of our Exit Specialist team members shared, “For me, success at Life After Hate is helping people actually move forward and create lasting change for them and their families. An example of this was someone telling me they wanted to be less angry and less upset. More than anything, they did not want to pass the ideology, or everything that came with it, on to their children. For me, that is what real and lasting change looks like.
In my role as an exit specialist, it is great to see people move on from the program and become more comfortable with their true, authentic self. I also like that we keep the NFLB Discord open so people can come back and check in, even years later.”
When asked about success at LAH, another Exit Specialist team member shared, “In this work, the word ‘success’ is used cautiously. Defining success as permanently leaving extremism implies a level of certainty we cannot always guarantee. The process of disengagement and change is often complex, nonlinear, and highly individualized. Instead, we focus on helping participants identify and follow their own pathway away from extremism. That pathway can vary considerably in both length and intensity.
In my experience, I have worked with individuals for periods ranging from one month to eight years. There is no predetermined timeline and no single intervention that serves as a ‘golden ticket.’ What we have learned is that there can be a manageable pathway forward for participants when they are willing to take ownership of their change and engage meaningfully with the process.
Ultimately, the goal is not to measure success by how quickly someone leaves an extremist movement or how long they remain engaged with a program. It is about whether we can help individuals access the resources, relationships, and opportunities they need to move toward a prosocial, non-violent life. Rebuilding a sense of humanity, connection, and belonging is possible. For some, that process happens relatively quickly. For others, it can take years. The pathway is different for everyone, but with appropriate support and a genuine willingness to change, there can be a way forward.”
When all is told, the truest measure of our success is not found in a spreadsheet or a bar graph (though we have those, too), but in the trust we have built with those we serve, with the communities that stand alongside us, and with every participant who has entrusted us with their story and their future. Our quantitative data affirms what we are seeing, but numbers can only tell part of the story. The deeper measure of impact is found in the lives changed, relationships restored, and possibilities created when someone chooses a different path, a path free from violence. Behind every data point is a person, and behind every success story is a life that touches countless others, and that is the measure of success that matters most.
