Digital P/CVE Counseling Services as a Challenge for Professional and Evaluation Practice

Digital P/CVE Counseling Services as a Challenge for Professional and Evaluation Practice

Digital technologies are increasingly finding their way into individual counseling work in secondary and tertiary prevention. In addition to traditional telecounseling, interactive platforms, chatbots for initial contact and even the first AI-supported applications are now being used. These developments open up opportunities, but also pose new challenges for specialist practice and evaluation research: How can the quality and impact of such digitally supported services be appropriately assessed? And what methodological and ethical questions arise?

This PrEval pilot study looks at current developments in Germany, Europe and selected international contexts. Based on qualitative surveys such as interviews and focus group discussions in the period from 2024 to 2025, it maps key challenges, collects findings from initial practical approaches and develops practical suggestions on how evaluations can be designed in this dynamic field.

The results provide valuable starting points for evaluators, political decision-makers, funding providers and academia to further develop the quality management of digital counseling services.