Findings of European study on violent youth radicalisation to be launched at UEL

The University of East London’s School of Psychology will host a conference addressing violent youth radicalisation in Europe later this month.

The final findings of one of the largest scientific studies on violent youth radicalisation in Europe, the Erasmus+Youth Empowerment and Innovation Project (YEIP), will be launched at the YEIP Closing International Conference on January 29. 

Over three years, the Erasmus+ funded project, coordinated by the IARS International Institute led by Professor Theo Gavrielides, trained local teams of young people who conducted fieldwork in schools, youth prisons, universities, migrant centres and online, with 18 partners involved including public authorities such as the Home Office, the Romanian Ministry of Education and Regione Ligura.

The YEIP project, which focused on the UK, Greece, Cyprus, Italy, Portugal, Sweden and Romania, applied a youth-led methodology involving 75 young researchers throughout the project and partnership. YEIP directly engaged with and spoke to 3540 individuals, aged between 16 and 78.

The conference, which will take place at the University of East London’s Stratford campus, is now open for registration. Keynote speakers will include representatives from the European Commission, Neil Coyle MP, shadow home secretary Diane Abbott and prominent academics.

Professor Aneta Tunariu, dean of the School of Psychology at the University of East London, said, “The Youth Empowerment and Innovation Project (YEIP) represents a remarkable milestone in our collective understanding and approach to tackling the psycho-social conditions that overshadow and silence life-hope and its primordial place for human flourishing, fuelling marginalisation, misunderstandings, injustice and ultimately anger and division.

“At the heart of YEIP’s accomplishment is the integration of youth-led action across science, theory development, solution-finding and policy innovation.”

She added, “The University of East London is pleased to host and participate at the event and align its longstanding commitment to inclusive citizenship and knowledge that matters by driving evidence-based social justice interventions for and with our communities, within and beyond our campus gates.”

Professor Theo Gavrielides, YEIP scientific coordinator, said, “After a lot of hard work, we are proud to release the groundbreaking findings of our youth-led project, aiming to change not only policies at national and EU levels, but also the way we view violent youth radicalisation and young people more generally.”

The project investigated the attitudes and knowledge of young Europeans, youth workers and other practitioners, while testing tools for addressing the phenomenon through positive psychology and the application of the Good Lives Model.

The findings have been published as part of a book, which can be downloaded for free.