The Role of the College of Education at Kuwait University in Countering Violent Extremism among Students

Abstract

This study aims to identify the forms of violent extremism among students of the College of Education at Kuwait University and specify the causes that drive youth towards it. This study used a cross-sectional design to which MANOVA analysis was used to analyze data. Sample of this study included 192 faculty members and 426 students of Kuwait University. Three indexed questionnaires searching the forms of violent extremism, causes and the role of faculty members to counter violent extremism were used to collect data. The analysis was addressed descriptively to see the indexes of violent extremism and their statistical impacts on the attributes in terms of occupation, gender, age, and experience to counter violent experiences.   Results show that violent extremism among students occurred due to political, social, economic, and cultural aspects. This study has also determined the role of education in countering violent extremism and decreasing its prevalence among youth. One of the most important results is observing the spread of several indicators and types of violent extremism among some students. Therefore, attention must be paid to teaching these students how to resolve their differences by legal and peaceful means. It is recommended that an educational strategy be developed to prevent violent extremism among students, which should emphasize the importance of upgrading the curriculum and programs within the college to spread a culture of peace, tolerance, and acceptance of social and cultural diversity.