Suche
Mein Konto
Right-wing extremist tendencies among young people: Thuringia on alert!
Mobit warns of increasing right-wing extremism among young people in Thuringia and calls for more prevention in schools.
Right-wing extremist tendencies among young people: Thuringia on alert!
A worrying trend has been observed in Thuringia in recent years: more and more young people are showing sympathy for right-wing extremist and right-wing populist positions. The chairman of Mobile Consulting (Mobit), Felix Steiner, emphasizes that this development should be taken seriously and urgently addressed. “We cannot accept this,” he said during a current discussion about the challenges in youth work and in schools, where there are often inadequately trained staff to deal with such incidents tagesschau.de.
What is particularly striking is that many young people who express right-wing extremism come from parents in which such views are either shared or tolerated. An example that came up in Mobit's consultations is the case of a student who described himself as a “young National Socialist” in front of his class. In another incident, a mother who bought her son a T-shirt with right-wing extremist symbols made it clear that he should please not wear it to school. Such situations show how deeply right-wing extremist ideas have already penetrated youth culture mdr.de determines.
The role of youth work
The challenges for youth work are diverse, especially in times when right-wing extremist groups such as the “Identitarian Movement” are increasingly relying on social media and pop culture to influence young people. In this context the reports bpb.de of hybrid right-wing extremist youth cultures that consist of different currents. This also includes clothing being used as an expression of right-wing extremist identity. In youth work, it is of great importance to recognize and classify right-wing extremist positions, symbols and actors in order to be able to develop effective prevention measures.
Young people need to be sensitized to democratic values. It is crucial to reach a political consensus in youth work and to set clear normative goals. This includes protection from right-wing extremist influences and the promotion of democratic values. Mobit is calling for more preventive measures to effectively reach young people and dissuade them from extremist influence.
The way forward
Another important aspect is the need to include external observations in the assessment of young people. Youth work must set clear boundaries and, if necessary, exclude right-wing extremist young people from institutions. At the same time, it is important to build a professional relationship with these young people and show interest in the realities of their lives without accepting their extremist views. “We need a good knack for dealing with these challenges,” say experts.
The rise of right-wing populist actors has increased the likelihood that unequal values will penetrate young people's social images. In order to counteract this, concrete options for action are necessary. The collaboration of youth work with civil society and politics is essential to develop effective strategies.
In summary, it shows that the fight against right-wing extremist ideologies among young people is not easy, but the course for a better future must be set now. Informed and committed youth work is the key here. Given current developments, it is more important than ever to speak out and demand clear action.