Countering youth radicalization and homegrown terrorism

The events that occurred on September 11/ 2001 changed the meaning of terrorism for many Canadians and brought the fear and reality of terrorism to the forefront. Large scale acts of terrorism in Canada have been quite rare; however, the fear continues. One of the concerns about terrorism is that, aside from homegrown terrorism, it involves people thousands of miles away from different backgrounds, cultures, legal structures, and objectives. Terrorist activities based on Islamic fundamentalism have been escalating throughout the world since early 2000. Even with the lack of major terror acts in Canada, youth radicalization makes the issue a relevant one in Canadian society. Whether the fear is proportionate to the level of threat, if left unaddressed, terrorist activities could flourish and undermine the safety and perception of safety for all Canadians. Consequently, this major paper strives to identify and evaluate potential solutions to minimize the threat of homegrown terrorism and address the underlying causes and processes associated with youth radicalization. Terrorist attacks must be taken seriously in Canada. New approaches and policies are required to better understanding and effectively deal with radicalized individuals who are committed to engaging in acts of terrorism in Canada or against Canadians and Canadian interests abroad. Self-radicalized terrorists, in particular, share a unique typology that differs from other terrorists and, therefore, identifying their motives is very important. While some theorists believe the cause of terrorism is psychopathology, sociopathic, or mental illness, others argue that terrorism is the result of an identity crisis. With the use of social media and the internet, these individuals are disposed to further engage in their terrorist propaganda. To address this issue, the argument forwarded in this major paper is that there must be a shift from reactive approaches to more proactive approaches and strategies. This major paper concludes that both youth de-radicalization and countering of violent extremism in Canada are best addressed through a community collaboration approach.