TERRA II: A high-school intervention programme for anti-radicalisation in youth

This paper concerns an analysis of and justification for U.CaRe, part of Terra II, a European network- based prevention and learning programme funded by the European Commission. Terra II aims to prevent radicalisation, and constructs manuals for instructors and education packages for schools to foster increases in social-emotional skills and solidarity, as well as an appreciation for differences and commonalities. In collaboration with University College Roosevelt psychology students, U.CaRe designed and implemented an education package on high schools in Zeeland, The Netherlands, in a universal fashion to eliminate the risk of misidentifying students with risk behaviour. This education package consists of seven workshops, each of which strives to equip students with valuable practical skills, amongst which self-efficacy and perspective taking for holistic mental development and better citizenship. In this paper, importance and results of implementation of the peer pressure and assertiveness workshop are assessed. By cultivating assertiveness, susceptibility to peer pressure can be reduced, and indirectly the repercussions of peer pressure: asocial behaviour such as binge drinking or radicalisation. Ultimately, this renewed pedagogy can help strengthen social cohesion in a multicultural society.