SECURING TOMORROW’S LEADERS OF AN INSTITUTIONAL SAFETY NET FOR STUDENTS’ PROTECTION IN SOCIAL MEDIA RECRUITMENT TO TERRORISM: THE CASE OF STATE UNIVERSITIES AND COLLEGES IN DAVAO REGION, PHILIPPINES

This policy research investigates the awareness levels of students in State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) within Davao Region on the risk of social media recruitment into terrorism. With the increase of digital reliance during the COVID-19 pandemic, the rise of cyber threats and extremist exploitation through online platforms, this study explores the need for institutional safety nets that protect students from digital radicalization. Utilising a mixed-methods approach, this study employed descriptive statistics, exploratory factor analysis, and inferential tests to examine the socio-demographic profile of students and identify key protective dimensions. Results revealed two major components: (1) Institutional Safeguarding Frameworks for Heightened Awareness and Information Sensitivity, (2) Global Knowledge Synthesis for Holistic Mitigation. Further, findings underscore significant differences in perception based on gender, year level, and type of gadget use, among female, first-year students and those students engaged in school organizations, expressing higher awareness levels. Through this, the study recommends urgency for policy reforms, institutional frameworks and global strategies tailored to equip SUCs with proactive measures against cyberterrorism recruitment and thereby reinforcing the digital resilience and safety of the students.<p> </p><p><strong> Article visualizations:</strong></p><p><img src="/-counters-/soc/0423/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /></p>