PREVENTATIVE ENGAGEMENT WITH YOUTH: UNIVERSITIES AS HUBS FOR COUNTERING VIOLENT EXTREMISM THROUGH SOCIO-RELIGIO-ACADEMIC MENTORING AND COMMUNITY-LED MODELS: A COMPREHENSIVE ANALYSIS OF EDUCATIONAL APPROACHES TO COUNTER RADICALISATION
Keywords:
Violent Extremism, Community, Radicalisation, Youth, Mentoring, , Social, ReligiousAbstract
This article explores the importance of early and proactive interaction with youth in countering violent extremism (CVE) and highlights the strategic value of universities as places of early intervention and prevention. The study examines the socio-religious academic mentoring (SRAM) approach and community-led models to prevent radicalisation in educational institutions. The study has been conducted on 500 youth in eight universities of Pakistan, and it has shown that despite their high awareness about the causes of extremism, there is a lack of conceptual understanding of CVE approaches. The study has shown that mentoring education models can yield significantly better results than the conventional lecture-based model. Prevention interventions are most effective for younger age groups, and decrease among young adults, highlighting the need to engage young people early in education. The research suggests that Pakistan's universities must introduce compulsory CVE modules and train faculty members on mentoring skills, build collaborative ties with community groups, and provide the necessary learning atmosphere for mitigating vulnerabilities faced by young people, such as identity crisis, exposure to online content, and social isolation.
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