Radicalisation of young people: the use of the internet and addressing radicalisation through education

This thesis explores the issue of the radicalisation of young people. A focus is placed on the internet as a tool for the radicalisation of young people, and also on the prevention of radicalisation within the education system in the United Kingdom. The first chapter introduces background information and research in the field of radicalisation, and, more broadly, of terrorism. In addition, it introduces the aims and research questions of the thesis. The second chapter comprises a systematic literature review regarding the ways in which the internet is utilised by terror groups in the radicalisation process. The results of this review highlight the dearth of evidence within this field; the discussion, however, details similar and consistent findings among researchers, and provides recommendations for future research. Chapter three provides a critique of the Violent Extremist Risk Assessment-2 (Pressman & Flockton, 2010). Findings suggest that empirical evaluations of the VERA-2 are limited and that it should not be used as a standalone tool, but rather as one part of a comprehensive risk assessment. The fourth chapter presents a research project whereby teaching staff engaged in semistructured interviews in order to provide first-hand accounts of their perspectives in relation to working with youth who may be vulnerable to radicalisation. The qualitative method used in this research was thematic analysis, and the following themes were identified: causes for concern; students’ concerns about terrorism; challenges for teaching staff; preventing youth from radicalisation; teaching staff responsibility; and addressing diversity in education. Some of the findings proved to be consistent with previous research, however novel views and suggestions were also reported. The final chapter provides an overview of the findings. Findings are discussed with reference to the need for subsequent research in this field and the implications for current practice