The phenomenon of radicalization is growing in Europe and, as it turns out, this is especially the case for young people. There are several studies that examine the causes of radicalization of young people in terms of political opinion or ideology. However, very little is said about psychological or social reasons - the need to belong somewhere, the feeling of power, the lack of opportunities to spend free time or the result of trauma. In the (De) radical project, organizations from Slovakia, Portugal, Italy and Slovenia want to try to figure out these very causes and jointly create alternatives and concepts for working with young people so that we can prevent them from joining radical groups. These are very experienced organizations that have built a tradition in working with youth with risky behaviour. This experience and expertise in the field of radicalization will help to name and develop effective and meaningful strategies for youth work so that young people choose the services and activities offered by youth organizations rather than violent radical groups. We want to present these at the training for youth workers, where they will learn these strategies and together we will look for good practice and working methods in working with youth with an emphasis on the prevention (primary, secondary and tertiary) of radicalization. However, it will not only be about acquiring new knowledge, but also about their practical testing directly "in the field" among young people in schools, low-threshold programs, youth organizations or directly in streetwork programs on the streets. The project will create a manual for youth workers and a video, which we will be able to expand further and will be an educational tool for those professionals who want to address this topic. The experience of the project partners in the field of social work, youth work, field work or deradicalization processes is a good basis for spreading good practice, which will be enriched by the knowledge gained in this project. We believe that the results of this project can become another piece in the puzzle of an effective strategy to combat extremism and radicalization in youth work, which is most at risk.
Young people at risk of radicalisation and extremism are increasingly coming under the spotlight of social work and youth work (see our publication Foundations of Social Work with Youth at Risk of Extremism and Radicalisation, Street Youth, 2016). Consideration is being given to how the risk behaviours of these young people can be reduced. Youth workers in organisations at home and abroad are increasingly encountering this target group. However, they often do not know exactly how to set up a way of working to approach this type of client (see the publication mentioned above). Our aim was therefore to share our knowledge, experience and know-how in working with young people at risk of radicalisation and extremism. Ultimately, not only youth workers, but also the young people themselves and the whole society benefited from the project. Sub-objective 1 was to develop a training module for youth workers working with young people at risk of radicalisation and extremism. Sub-objective 2 was to train male and female youth workers - to acquire knowledge and skills to work with the target group.
There is a growing phenomenon of radicalisation in Europe and, as it turns out, this is happening especially among young people. There are a number of studies that examine the causes of radicalisation among young people from the perspective of political opinion or ideology. However, very little is said about the psychological or social reasons - the need to belong, the feeling of power, the lack of leisure opportunities or the effects of trauma. In the (De)radical project we have tried to indentify these needs and bring an effective tool for youth workers to meet these needs in a more alternative and safer way. The fact is that this topic has been usurped by political science, criminology, religious studies and the prison system, and little is said about primary and secondary prevention, how to work with young people in schools and leisure facilities or counselling centres. Therefore, we have created a training module for youth workers, teachers, members of support teams in schools, psychologists and counsellors on how to navigate and work on the topic of radicalisation and violent extremism.