Radicalization and Social Polarization

Background

Children in Afghanistan live in dangerous areas, and have been exposed to traumatic events and chaotic education. Progress has been made on access to education for girls who were the most affected by traditional attitudes against engagement in education.

Objectives

The objectives were to evaluate the mental health of Afghan children living in regions of conflict and the association of mental health with school attendance for girls and boys.

Method

The study included 2707 school aged children in eight regions of Afghanistan (16 provinces) residing in households recruited through a multi-stage stratified cluster sampling strategy in 2017. The level of terrorist threat was evaluated by the intensity of terrorist attacks recorded that year in each province. Child mental health was assessed with the parental report Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) along with information on school attendance, sociodemographic characteristics and geographic location.

Results

A total of 52.75% of children had scores above threshold for the SDQ total difficulties score, 39.19% for emotional difficulties, 51.98% for conduct challenges, and 15.37% for hyperactivity/inattention. Peer relationship problems were high (82.86%) and 12.38% reported that these problems impacted daily life. The level of terrorist threat was associated with SDQ total difficulties (Adjusted Odds Ratio [AOR] = 4.08, P < 0.0001), with youth in regions with high levels of terrorist threat more likely to have problems than youth in regions with low or medium levels of danger, independent of region and ethnicity. School attendance was negatively associated with emotional symptoms (AOR = 0.65, P < 0.0001) and mental health difficulties with impairment (AOR = 0.67, P = 0.007), but positively associated with peer relationships difficulties (AOR = 1.96, P > 0.0001). Conduct (AOR = 1.66, P < .0001) and SDQ total difficulties (AOR = 1.22, P = 0.019) were higher among boys. Overall, gender did not modify the relationship between school attendance and child mental health.

Conclusion

Attending school is essential for children’s mental health, across gender, and should be supported as a priority in Afghanistan despite the return of the Taliban.

Case formulation is used in clinical training to weave together theoretical perspectives and support a shared plan of action. Although a cornerstone of clinical practice, critical social theorists have highlighted the risks of depoliticizing political struggles and of reifying and fixing subjects when using psychopathology and case formulation to address situations of injustice. In the field of violent radicalization, this risk is increased by the extreme affects evoked by terror in practitioners and in societies. This article explores the challenges of training clinicians in the field of violent radicalization. It does so by analyzing a Community of Practice (CoP) that was developed to support practitioners involved in this domain of practice in Quebec, Canada. Four focus groups with CoP participants and participant observation of nine CoP meetings were conducted. Thematic and narrative analyses were used to explore the training potential of the CoP and to identify the discursive processes and group dynamics associated with this modality. Results indicate that the diversity of professional perspectives and social positionalities in the group plays a central role in helping participants become aware of their biases and in developing more complex understandings of cases and of their social embedding. Results also suggest that the collective holding of risk is key to preserve practitioners’ investment in patients involved with violent radicalization. The sensitive issue of partnership between health and social services and security agencies is also addressed. Results suggest that CoPs with strong leadership allow for experiential training to enhance clinical and critical thinking.

ABSTRACT

The association of ideologically motivated violence with mental health disorders raises spe-cific challenges for security agencies and clinical services. The aim of this paper is todescribe the clientele of a specialized intervention program based in Montreal, Quebec, interms of type of violent ideology and clinical presentation. We conducted a retrospectivechart review of 156 individuals referred for violent extremism who received clinical servicesbetween 2016 and 2021. Univariate statistics were used to present a description of clientsociodemographic and clinical characteristics. Roughly a third of clients referred for violentextremism presented non-ideologically based violence (32.6%), followed by 31.4% affiliatedwith far-right extremist ideology and over a quarter (25.6%) holding extremist views on gen-der. Over a third of these individuals had a stress-related (35.7%) and/or mood and anxietydisorder (36.9%), followed by 28% with an autism spectrum disorder diagnosis. The majorityhad some previous contact with mental health services. A significant number of clients dis-playing extremist discourses and/or actions needed psychiatric services but often failed toreceive them because of the reluctance of clinicians to work with individuals perceived ashigh risk; in addition, individuals may be reluctant to engage in services perceived to bepart of a socio-political system they reject. Specialized services are important as a means toprovide mental health care to this group and also to develop knowledge and best practicesfor working with this clientele and provide consultation to mainstream mental health serviceproviders.

KEYWORDS

Violent extremism; clinicalservices; mental health care;specialized intervention

This is the protocol for a Campbell systematic review. The main objective of this project is to gather, critically appraise, and synthesize evidence about the appropriateness and utility of tools used to assess the risk of violent radicalization.

Ce rapport fait partie de la première étape du projet PREV-IMPACT Canada qui, soutenu par les Fonds pour la résilience communautaire du Centre canadien d’engagement communautaire et de prévention de la violence et Sécurité publique Canada, vise le développement et l’implantation de modèles canadiens d’évaluation des programmes en matière de prévention de l’extrémisme violent (PEV)3 et, ultimement, le renforcement des capacités des personnes intervenantes clés au Canada.

Violent radicalization is the result of a multidimensional process determined by a complex interplay among cultural, social and individual variables. However, empirical evidence on the risk and protective factors involved in the process of violent radicalization is still scarce. Even less is known on early determinants in terms of primary prevention. In the present chapter, we argue the importance of a Positive Youth Development (PYD) approach to the study of violent radicalization, aimed at fostering youth strengths across multiple levels of functioning. In support of our argument, we present findings from a broad quantitative project on the determinants of sympathy for violent radicalization among youth in Québec (Canada). The findings suggest that supporting connection (e.g., social support, plural group identities and religiosity) and confidence (e.g., positive future orientation) represents an effective way of providing youth with valid alternatives to violent radicalization.

This chapter presents an overview of the body of literature on radicalization leading to violence. We define violent radicalization and situate the phenomenon in our present socially polarized world, reporting available global estimates of terrorist and hate crime and incidents for both the Global South and Global North. We argue that violent radicalization is a global public health issue that calls for a socio-ecological approach to prevention and intervention and discuss the harmful consequences of applying a security-driven framework to develop prevention programs. We identify the challenges related to measuring and documenting factors that may reduce the overall climate of legitimation of intergroup violence in the general population and subsequently present an overview of multilevel risk and protective factors associated with support to violent radicalization. We then present an overview of existing primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention initiatives in the Global North and Global South. We conclude with a critical discussion of limitations and potential avenues for the future of research and prevention on violent radicalization.

This article presents a preliminary evaluation of training sessions promoting a systemic approach to violent radicalization (VR) offered to first-line health and education professionals in Quebec. We describe the rationale and content for the training program, its general principles and implementation modalities. The mixed-method evaluation indicated that the participants felt the training increased their level of confidence in dealing with VR in their work. It appeared that training also shifted participants’ attitudes significantly on four items with decreases: (1) worry about the extent of VR of young people in Quebec; (2) belief that VR should automatically be reported to the police; (3) thinking that Islam favors VR; and (4) assumption that enhanced security measures would have a deterrent effect on VR. The conclusion discusses the challenges associated with violent radicalization training programs, emphasizing the delicate ethical and political questions related to the provision of training on this socially divisive topic.

The present study examines the moderating role of total, intrinsic, and extrinsic religiosity in the relation between perceived discrimination and sympathy for violent radicalization (VR) among college students in Quebec, Canada. A total of 931 students responded to an online questionnaire and were included in this study. Linear mixed-effects models were conducted to account for the clustered nature of the data, and moderation was assessed via interaction analysis using cross-product terms in the models. Findings indicated that both intrinsic and extrinsic religiosity had a protective role in the link between perceived discrimination and sympathy for VR and buffered the effects of sadness in response to discrimination on sympathy for VR, but not the effects of anger in response to discrimination. These results provide evidence of the protective role of religiosity in Canada, a social context characterized by an increase in religious discrimination, but which also supports religious diversity.

This article presents an analysis of the lived experiences of youth mental health practitioners taking part in Transcultural Interinstitutional and Interdisciplinary Case Discussion Seminars (TIICDS), an intercultural training initiative developed in Montréal (Québec, Canada), while considering the current context of increasing social polarizations. Using insights from the community of practice (CoP) framework and drawing on the analysis of 21 seminar sessions and 26 semi-structured individual interviews, this article examines the relation between the local sociopolitical context, the participants’ verbalization about their identities, and the affect and cognition evoked by the training. Results indicate that TIICDSs present several features of a CoP and that intercultural training needs to build on both theoretical and experiential knowledge, while considering local contextual elements. These include historical and contemporary social representations and power differentials between groups, the cultural identities of trainees, and the institutions and sociopolitical structures in which clinical practices take place. These elements, we argue, are sensitive and potentially conflictual but can be addressed through supportive and reflexive group-based initiatives such as CoPs that bring together practitioners on a regular basis and provide them with a ‘culturally safe enough’ space in which they can learn to complexify their understanding of clinical situations.

Les sentiments xénophobes, la discrimination et les crimes et incidents de haine sont en augmentation à travers le monde. Bien que la relation entre les attitudes et les comportements ne soit pas linéaire, les attitudes de l’ensemble de la population envers la légitimation de certaines formes de violence peuvent représenter un facteur de risque et alimenter la polarisation sociale, ce qui peut à son tour faciliter le recours à la violence au nom d’une idéologie radicale parmi les personnes vulnérables. . Ainsi, comprendre les facteurs de risque et de protection associés aux attitudes positives à l’égard de la radicalisation violente est un point de départ important pour éclairer des programmes de prévention efficaces. Cependant, peu d’études empiriques ont examiné les attitudes positives à l’égard de la radicalisation violente chez les jeunes, qui courent un risque accru de radicalisation violente. En 2015, un échantillon d’étudiants fréquentant 14 collèges au Québec (74% âgés de 16 à 21 ans, 71% de femmes) a participé à un sondage en ligne visant à enquêter sur les attitudes positives envers la radicalisation violente et le risque associé (c.-à-d. Discrimination, exposition violence, dépression, identité collective polarisée) et facteurs de protection (c.-à-d. orientation future positive, soutien social, religiosité). Deux ans plus tard, la même enquête en ligne a été menée dans six collèges, pour examiner à un niveau préliminaire l’évolution du phénomène dans le temps. Le présent article résume les résultats de ce projet de recherche avec l’objectif final d’améliorer notre compréhension de la radicalisation violente chez les adolescents et les jeunes adultes, afin d’identifier des pistes potentielles de prévention et d’intervention. 71% de femmes) ont participé à une enquête en ligne visant à enquêter sur les attitudes positives à l’égard de la radicalisation violente et le risque associé (c.-à-d. Discrimination, exposition à la violence, à la dépression, identité collective polarisée) et les facteurs de protection (c.-à-d. Orientation future positive, soutien social , religiosité).

Objective: The present study examined whether a positive future orientation was linked to lower levels of sympathy for violent radicalization (VR) beyond the contributions of depression among a sample of college students in Quebec, Canada. In addition, we investigated whether these associations varied by gender and levels of depression. Method: A total of 1,680 college students (71% women: 74% aged between 16 and 21 years) were included in this study. Linear mixed-effects models were implemented to test the contributions of future orientation and depression to sympathy for VR, controlling for the relevant sociodemographic variables. Results: A positive future orientation was linked to lower sympathy for VR beyond depressive levels (β = −0.08, 95% confidence interval [CI] [−0.13, −0.04]). This association was stronger among participants with higher depression scores (β = −0.11, 95% CI [−0.20, −0.01]) compared with participants with lower depression scores (β = −0.05, 95% CI [−0.16, 0.05]). The association was also modified by gender with a negative effect observed only in men (β = −0.18, 95% CI [−0.26, −0.10]). Finally, when conducting gender-stratified analyses, higher future orientation was associated with lower sympathy for radicalization among men with higher depression scores (range of estimates: −0.21 to −0.26). Conclusions: Youth who lack positive perspectives of the future may support violence. Fostering a meaningful vision of the future in youth may be a way to counter the attraction of VR. Schools and colleges are in a privileged position to implement preventive interventions to support a positive future orientation. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved)

The upsurge in violent radicalization is associated with a global increase in social inequalities and conflicts related to different markers of identity. To date, literature on the factors associated with legitimizing violence toward others is cross-sectional and does not provide information on the possible change of this phenomenon over time. Such information is necessary to design primary prevention programs that are adapted to and address a rapidly evolving social context. We use a repeated cross-sectional study design to explore the association between sociodemographic characteristics and scores on the Sympathy for Violent Radicalization Scale (SVR) in Quebec (Canada) college students at 2 times points. Results from an online survey completed by students of 6 colleges in 2015 (n = 854) and 2017 (n = 702) indicate that although overall scores on the SVR scale remained stable, there were changes in the association between age, identity, and the outcome at the two time points. Specifically, scores on the SVR were significantly higher among younger students in 2017 than in 2015. In addition, in 2017 we observed a relationship between collective identity and SVR that was not present in 2015. These results align with other recent studies in Canada and the U.S. documenting the emergence of new forms of youth politicized bullying associated with race, ethnicity, and religion. A close monitoring of the phenomenon is warranted to both better understand the impact of populist policies on the increase in hate incidents and crimes and develop programs to address these forms of violence from a public health perspective. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

Ce document complète les modules de formation « Comprendre pour mieux prévenir : la radicalisation violente chez les jeunes » offerts par l’équipe RAPS du centre de recherche SHERPA, affilié à l’Institut Universitaire du CIUSSS Centre-Ouest-de-l’Île-de-Montréal, parfois en collaboration avec les milieux de pratique (MEES, autres CIUSSS…). Il compile des ressources de différentes natures qui peuvent soutenir parents, enseignants, intervenants dans leur accompagnement des enfants et des jeunes autour des questions parfois épineuses de la différence, de la tolérance, des identités, de la violence et du terrorisme.

Les débats autour du projet de loi 21 sur la laïcité de l’État reflètent l’ampleur de ses enjeux sociétaux. Beaucoup d’opinions et d’analyses théoriques, historiques et philosophiques ont été exprimées pour ou contre le projet de loi, mais peu ou pas de données empiriques ont été présentées pour éclairer les choix politiques délicats qui s’imposent. L’objectif du présent avis est d’amorcer une analyse des bénéfices et des risques du projet de loi 21, en termes de conséquences pour la santé publique. Cette analyse préliminaire se base sur les données probantes québécoises disponibles, pour la période 1990-2019. Elle a été produite par des chercheurs en sciences humaines, sociales et médicales, appartenant à l’Institut Universitaire SHERPA du CIUSSS-CODIM et à l’Équipe de Recherche et Action sur les Polarisations Sociales.

Les débats autour du projet de loi 21 sur la laïcité de l’État reflètent l’ampleur de ses enjeux sociétaux. Beaucoup d’opinions et d’analyses théoriques, historiques et philosophiques ont été exprimées pour ou contre le projet de loi, mais peu ou pas de données empiriques ont été présentées pour éclairer les choix politiques délicats qui s’imposent. L’objectif du présent avis est d’amorcer une analyse des bénéfices et des risques du projet de loi 21, en termes de conséquences pour la santé publique. Cette analyse préliminaire se base sur les données probantes québécoises disponibles, pour la période 1990-2019. Elle a été produite par des chercheurs en sciences humaines, sociales et médicales, appartenant à l’Institut Universitaire SHERPA du CIUSSS-CODIM et à l’Équipe de Recherche et Action sur les Polarisations Sociales.

Les croisements entre trauma et violence sont souvent pensés sous l’angle de la violence subie, le premier s’inscrivant dans le sillage de la seconde. Les effets de la violence se traduisent alors en symptômes, mais aussi en agir, dans des cycles de répétition traumatique où la personne traumatisée peut se remettre dans des situations de risque. Qu’ils empruntent le vocabulaire de la psychanalyse ou celui d’approches biomédicales, de nombreux écrits en psychologie mettent ainsi de l’avant le caractère déstructurant de la violence traumatique.

Objectives :Violence committed by extremists has serious violent and non-violent public health consequences. Researchers have hypothesized an association between experiencing discrimination and support for radicalization. This study examines the relationship between perceived discrimination and support for violent extremism among youth and young adults in Belgium.

Methods:  A total of 2037 young adults between the ages of 16 and 30 participated in the study. We used multivariate linear regression to determine the association between sociodemographic characteristics, experiences of perceived discrimination, and scores on the Radical Intention Scale (RIS).

Results:  Sex, religion, generation status, and language were associated with experiencing discrimination. Sex and language were associated with scores on the RIS. Discrimination based on language and political views was independently associated with scores on the RIS. Discrimination experienced during interactions with the police/justice system was also associated with RIS scores.

Conclusions : Public health primary prevention programs and policies that target the relationship between discrimination and sympathy for violent radicalization need to be situated on micro- to macro-levels. Of primary importance is the development of partnerships between stakeholders in public health, legal, political, and educational sectors to develop strategies to diminish discrimination and promote positive civic engagement among youth.

Although structural violence and social inequality affect youth physical and mental health throughout the world, the problem of violent radicalization (VR) has more recently emerged as an area of concern for professionals working with youth. Radicalization is a dynamic, complex process that is generated and fueled by intercommunity frictions and conflicting political, social, and economic discourses and interests. It takes the form of a shift away from a moderate point of view to a rigid one that rejects the status quo and demands drastic societal change, although not necessarily through violence.² Violent radicalization is when radicalization includes the support of or the plan to use violent measures, including hate crimes and incidents and/or mass killings, often targeting a group characteristic (race, religion, gender orientation and identity, or political views), to achieve one’s goals of social change.

This study aimed to analyze main groups accused on social media of causing or spreading the 2014–2016 Ebola epidemic in West Africa. In this analysis, blame is construed as a vehicle of meaning through which the lay public makes sense of an epidemic, and through which certain classes of people become “figures of blame”. Data was collected from Twitter and Facebook using key word extraction, then categorized thematically. Our findings indicate an overall proximate blame tendency: blame was typically cast on “near-by” figures, namely national governments, and less so on “distant” figures, such as generalized figures of otherness (“Africans”, global health authorities, global elites). Our results also suggest an evolution of online blame. In the early stage of the epidemic, blame directed at the affected populations was more prominent. However, during the peak of the outbreak, the increasingly perceived threat of inter-continental spread was accompanied by a progressively proximal blame tendency, directed at figures with whom the social media users had pre-existing biopolitical frustrations. Our study proposes that pro-active and on-going analysis of blame circulating in social media can usefully help to guide communications strategies, making them more responsive to public perceptions.

La problématique de la radicalisation violente interpelle de plus en plus le champ politique qui y répond par des plans d’action consistant souvent en une multiplication de programmes, visant à la prévenir et/ou à la traiter et la mise en place de formations s’adressant aux services de sécurité ou aux acteurs du champ social. Au Québec, le gouvernement s’est doté d’un plan d’action (Gouvernement du Québec 2015) qui comprenait notamment le développement de formations sur la prévention de la radicalisation violente, destinées aux intervenants des milieux de la santé et de l’éducation, un volet qui a été confié au centre de recherche SHERPA (Montréal, Québec) par le ministère de la santé et des services sociaux ainsi que le ministère de l’éducation.

À notre connaissance, bien que la pertinence d’offrir de la formation en matière de prévention de la radicalisation violente aux acteurs des milieux de la santé et de l’éducation soit relevée par plusieurs études (Ranstorp & al. 2016, Robinson & al. 2017), peu s’attardent sur les contenus de ces formations et encore plus rares sont les écrits qui en évaluent l’impact. Les formations portant sur la prévention de la radicalisation violente sont ainsi prônées mais peu évaluées : cette faiblesse concerne la plupart des programmes de prévention de la radicalisation violente, dont l’efficacité reste à démontrer (Bossong 2012, Lum & al. 2006, Horgan & al. 2010, Ris & al. 2017).

Dans le cadre de cet article, la portée des formations menées par le centre de recherche SHERPA sera discutée. L’évaluation de ces formations, que nous décrirons ci-après, suggère que celles-ci deviennent un lieu où se jouent différents mouvements de polarisation au sein du groupe de participants autour de certains sujets. Le travail d’accompagnement du groupe par les formateurs devient alors un enjeu de premier plan pour éviter les clivages, la circulation de blâmes démobilisants et pour promouvoir un sentiment de compétence chez les participants.

D’une part, cet article décrit les processus groupaux documentés par le biais de l’observation participante. D’autre part, il examine les déclencheurs et analyse les stratégies qui permettent aux participants et aux formateurs de contenir les affects et de transformer les tensions en occasion d’apprentissage. Finalement, les résultats qualitatifs de l’observation participante servent d’amorce à une réflexion qui, en croisant les notions d’incertitude et d’angoisse, donne matière à penser aussi bien le phénomène de la radicalisation violente que celui de sa construction en objet de savoir.

Identity issues have been at the forefront in studies on determinants of youth violent radicalization. Identity uncertainty and identity fusion appear to be associated with quests for meaning, which may find some answers in extremist discourses and radical engagements. This process has been considered to be particularly important for second-generation migrants who have to negotiate multiple identities, sometimes in situations of social adversity. T

his paper aims to understand the relations between collective identity, social adversity (discrimination and exposure to violence), and sympathy for violent radicalization in College students in Quebec. This mixed-method study consisted of a large online survey conducted at eight colleges in Quebec. Multilevel analysis accounted for the clustered nature of data while generalized additive mixed models were used to study nonlinear relations.

Results highlight the complex associations between collective identity and youth sympathy for violent radicalization. They confirm that negative public representations of minority communities may lead to more sympathy for violent radicalization. Although results suggest that strong enough identities can act as protective anchorages for youth, they also indicate that when collective identity becomes too central in personal identity this may accentuate othering processes and legitimize violence toward the out-group.

These results have implications for prevention programs. They indicate that improving the public image of minority communities through mainstream media or the social media may increase youth public self-esteem and decrease their sympathy for violent radicalization. They also invite the education field to foster the development of strong plural identities

Ce merveilleux conte, paru aux éditions Remue Ménage¹, est un ouvrage tout en finesse à travers lequel l’auteur a le courage d’aborder une des tâches les plus délicates qu’un parent ait à faire : parler à son enfant de la violence du monde. Mais puisqu’il le faut, pour le protéger, l’auteur nous fait don de ce conte et nous accompagne avec une délicatesse et une profondeur, qui témoignent d’une réflexion mûrie et d’un grand amour des enfants. Comment  aborder ce sujet sensible avec les petits sans les angoisser, ni les brimer dans leurs élans, dans leurs pulsions de vie ? Sans induire de progression traumatique, comme un fruit devenu mûr trop vite pour avoir été confronté au réel (Ferenczi, 1933) ? Pour ce faire, l’auteur use brillamment de métaphores que le lecteur de tout âge comprendra à l’aulne de son développement. Et c’est là le génie de sa méthode.

Cette puissance d’évocation est décuplée par les créations picturales qui accompagnent le texte. Il s’agit des illustrations d’Albin Christen. La première page, noire, remémore à l’enfant son milieu originel : le ventre de sa mère, lieu des premiers échanges sensoriels, d’où il recevra un premier bain de parole. Puis il y a ces forces invisibles qui jalonnent le parcours de l’enfant et qui sont illustrées de façon magistrale : des tenailles légèrement anthropomorphisées en bras, pour symboliser l’oppression ; les barrières de métal qui représentent les obstacles ; les rouages complexes qui métaphorisent l’appareillage intriqué et pervers qu’est la violence systémique.

Ce manuscrit propose une première description d’un travail clinique spécialisé au regard de la radicalisation menant à la violence au Canada. Une équipe clinique multidisciplinaire rattachée à un programme de santé mentale et de soins de première ligne à Montréal offre depuis juillet 2016 un service de consultation spécialisée pour soutenir des partenaires sur l’ensemble du territoire du Québec. Cet article décrit l’approche de l’équipe, l’organisation de l’offre de service et documente à travers des vignettes cliniques les principales catégories de problèmes sociaux et cliniques pour lesquels l’équipe fut sollicitée durant sa première année de fonctionnement. Nos observations préliminaires confirment la pertinence d’une évaluation pluridisciplinaire fondée sur une approche systémique du phénomène de la radicalisation violente, pour appréhender les différents facteurs sociaux, familiaux et individuels qui influencent les manifestations de ce phénomène, et déterminer la nature des interventions psychosociales et/ou psychiatriques pertinentes. La présentation des cas cliniques propose aux intervenants sociaux, communautaires et en santé mentale des pistes d’intervention et une compréhension du phénomène de radicalisation violente tel qu’il se présente dans les réseaux de la santé, de la protection de la jeunesse et de l’éducation au Québec.