RadicalizationRisk of student radicalization in Quebec low

A new survey of CEGEP students found that the risk of violent radicalization among Quebec youth remains “very weak,” while incidents of racism and hate speech remain common.

CEGEP is a network of publicly funded pre‑university colleges in the province of Quebec’s education system – similar to U.S. community colleges.

The survey, released Tuesday by the Quebec research group SHERPA, looked at the factors that may lead to radicalization and the most effective ways to prevent it.

SHERPA says that the study found that people who are not from religious backgrounds, as well as students who are at least second-generation immigrants, are more likely to be radicalized than religious people or those who are first-generation immigrants.

Among the findings:

• Men aged 25 and younger are most susceptible to radicalization.
• People who have had difficult lives or lived through traumatic events, including family violence, are subject to radicalization.
• Religion is seen as one factor that keeps people from supporting violent radicalization. However, if someone with a strong group identity also went through difficult life events, they could be more likely to radicalize.

The report recommends training in understanding these factors for those working in education, health, and social services.

The report also notes that programs which encourage inclusion, intercultural dialogue, and a supportive environment could help prevent radicalization.

The lead researcher, Dr. Cécile Rousseau, a child psychiatrist and scientific director of the SHERPA group, said that “Overall, support for violent radicalization is minimal at the Quebec college level.”

She said that to combat radicalization, SHERPA recommends improved psychological services in CEGEPs and health clinics.

The report was based on a questionnaire sent to students at eight CEGEPs. A total of 1,894 students responded to the survey and 1,241 completed all the questions.

SHERPA says that the results of the voluntary survey offer a portrait of radicalization at odds with some of the political rhetoric in the province.

New Parti Québécois chief Jean-François Lisée, for instance, said recently that “Islamic fundamentalism,” is one of three major challenges facing Quebec, and the planet as a whole, along with inequality and global warming.

— Read more in Cécile Rousseau et al., Le défi du vivre ensemble : Les déterminants individuels et sociaux du soutien à la radicalisation violente des collégiens et collégiennes au Québec(SHERPA, October 2016)