Do They Feel Heard? A Study of Canadian Secondary School Students’ Voices Around Violent Extremism

This paper examines the perspectives and experiences of Canadian secondary school students on violent extremism. Through interviews with students ( n = 36), the study highlights a significant lack of critical understanding of the topic. Although students perceive their teachers as competent, discussions on violent extremism are notably absent in classrooms, leading students to over-rely on informal sources such as social media, often rife with misinformation. Furthermore, many students tend to overemphasize Islamist extremism while showing no knowledge about right-wing or other forms of extremism. Some Muslim students report facing identity crises and discrimination due to prevailing discourses around Islam and violence.