Finding the Balance: Countering Extremism and Combating Stereotypes

Young people are exposed to discussions of extremism every day through social media, news and overheard conversations between adults. As an educators, the topic can be challenging to teach because the situation is always changing and evolving and worse, classroom conversations can themselves lead to stereotyping, bias and bigotry when discussing perpetrators and victims. 

The following resources will help you teach about extremism while ensuring that the threat is neither over- nor under-exaggerated. They include:

• Strategies that discourage the reinforcement of biased ideas during discussion.
• Resources to equip students to be savvy consumers of online material and propaganda.
• Background information for educators and administrators on the causes and observable signs of student violence and extremism. 
• Evidence-based suggestions for keeping schools safe.