(Gemini Audio)

The European Union has enhanced its strategy to combat terrorism and violent extremism by increasing funding and coordinating policies across member states and international partners. The new framework focuses on prevention through programs for education, community involvement, and digital resilience, emphasizing a comprehensive and rights-based approach.

With regard to up-to-date research, the terrorist threat landscape is changing as young people are increasingly involved as both the targets and perpetrators of extremism. Addressing this requires integrated, age-appropriate counter-terrorism tactics that use mental health care, education, and community engagement to combat online radicalization and foster long-term resilience.

With a view on the African continent, Afrobarometer survey data demonstrates that terrorism consistently weakens support for democracy, with attitude shifts particularly noticeable among younger and older citizens. These findings highlight that the political impact of terrorism is deeply connected to broader structural vulnerabilities related to a country’s development, institutions, and demographics.

There is much debate on the significance of ideology when it comes to violent extremism. An article in ‘Terrorism and Political Violence’ presents a new conceptual model for understanding severe violence—including terrorism and mass violence—by focusing on grievance-fueled violence rather than ideological motivation alone. The model traces the comprehensive process of grievance development across a sample of 120 offenders, offering a new framework for analyzing why people commit acts of mass violence.

Finally, analysis of the CSIS dataset shows that while right-wing extremism remains the largest threat in the U.S., left-wing political violence—mostly focused on property damage—has seen a slight increase during periods of political turmoil. The data underscores the importance of balanced policy responses that distinguish between peaceful activism and violent extremism to protect civil liberties.