Understanding and preventing violent extremism in school settings

Area of Science:

• Educational Psychology
• Criminology
• Public Health

Background:

• Violent extremism (VE) poses a growing threat in educational settings globally.
• Terrorist actors increasingly target youth in schools for attacks, radicalization, and recruitment.
• While overlapping with school shootings, VE represents a distinct threat requiring specialized attention from educators.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide an overview of issues related to violent extremism in schools.
• To explore strategies for mitigating targeted violence within educational environments.
• To highlight the role of school psychologists in preventing violent extremism.

Main Methods:

• Literature review and synthesis of existing research on VE in schools.
• Analysis of threat assessment and management strategies applicable to educational settings.
• Exploration of psychological interventions and systemic changes for prevention.

Main Results:

• Terrorist actors actively target schools for victimization and recruitment.
• School personnel can be trained to identify, assess, and manage VE threats.
• School psychologists are crucial for raising awareness and implementing preventive measures.

Conclusions:

• Schools are increasingly vulnerable to violent extremism.
• Proactive identification and management of VE threats are essential.
• School psychologists play a vital role in preventing VE through individual and systemic interventions.