The Role of the College of Education at Kuwait University in Countering Violent Extremism among Students www.jsser.org Journal of Social Studies Education Research Sosyal Bilgiler Eğitimi Araştırmaları Dergisi 2021:12 (3), 204-224 The Role of the College of Education at Kuwait University in Countering Violent Extremism among Students Maadi Mahdi Alajmi1 Abstract This study aims to identify the forms of violent extremism among students of the College of Education at Kuwait University and specify the causes that drive youth towards it. This study used a cross-sectional design to which MANOVA analysis was used to analyze data. Sample of this study included 192 faculty members and 426 students of Kuwait University. Three indexed questionnaires searching the forms of violent extremism, causes and the role of faculty members to counter violent extremism were used to collect data. The analysis was addressed descriptively to see the indexes of violent extremism and their statistical impacts on the attributes in terms of occupation, gender, age, and experience to counter violent experiences. Results show that violent extremism among students occurred due to political, social, economic, and cultural aspects. This study has also determined the role of education in countering violent extremism and decreasing its prevalence among youth. One of the most important results is observing the spread of several indicators and types of violent extremism among some students. Therefore, attention must be paid to teaching these students how to resolve their differences by legal and peaceful means. It is recommended that an educational strategy be developed to prevent violent extremism among students, which should emphasize the importance of upgrading the curriculum and programs within the college to spread a culture of peace, tolerance, and acceptance of social and cultural diversity. Keywords: Violent Extremism, Kuwait University, Youth, College of Education, Educational Strategy. Introduction The majority of the countries worldwide are facing a spreading threat of violent extremism leading to terrorism. In response, the United Nations and its affiliated organizations like the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) have established laws to prevent and protect youths from becoming affected by this growing phenomenon (Steven et al., 2019). Kuwait has suffered from many violent extremism and terrorism incidents in previous years due to its geographical location near areas of war and conflict. The existence of terrorist groups in Afghanistan and Iran is also a significant reason. For instance, the 1985 car bomb attack against Kuwait ruler Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al- 1 Dr. Kuwait University, College of Education, Curriculum & Instruction Department, drmaadi1@gmail.com Journal of Social Studies Education Research 2021: 12 (3), 204-224 205 Sabah and the bombing of local cafes killed 11 people and wounded 98 citizens in the same year. Another incident was the Aljabria aircraft hijacking in 1988. Additionally, the Iraq invasion of Kuwait led by Saddam Hussein in 1990 represented countrywide terrorism. Former undersecretary of the Kuwaiti Minister of Social Affairs and Labor Saad Al-Kharraz said that Kuwait attaches great importance to the fight against terrorism and the drying up of its sources, especially regarding the social focus and sustainable development. Thus, this study aims to help the education faculties counter violent extremism among students by indicating the forms and actors that cause violent extremism. Another goal is to determine the role of the curriculum, faculty members, and teaching methods in preventing violent extremism. The main objective of this study is to identify the forms of violent extremism among students of the College of Education at Kuwait University, as well as its causes and ways to combat it. One of the goals is to raise awareness of the danger of violent extremism spreading among youth, which leads to terrorism. This study is critical because it may help protect youths from being affected by ideas, views, or activities of violent extremist and terrorist groups. Furthermore, the findings are expected to contribute to the development of curricula, teaching methods, and teacher training to counter the spread of violent extremism among students. Purpose of the study This study aims to identify the forms and causes of violent extremism among students of the College of Education at Kuwait University and indicate the factors causing violent extremism among them. Also, to determine the role of the College of Education's curriculum, faculty members, and teaching methods in preventing violent extremism among students. Addressing the Problem Education plays a crucial role in countering violent extremism and terrorism. It ensures the growth of the human personality mentally, socially, spiritually, and physically. Education can prevent terrorism through curriculum training programs and teacher preparation. The education faculty in Kuwait shares responsibility for protecting students from being affected by violent extremism, which influences the educational process and society in general. Study Questions The problem addressed in this study is represented in the following research questions: 1) What are the forms of violent extremism among the College of Education at Kuwait University to counter student violent extremism in terms of occupation, gender, age, and experience? Alajimi 2) What are the factors that the College of Education at Kuwait University make to control the spread of violent extremism in terms of occupation, gender, age, and experience? 3) What is the role of the College of Education at Kuwait University in countering violent extremism among its students in terms of occupation, gender, age, and experience? Null Hypothesis In regard to the research questions above, this study attempts to verify the following null hypotheses: 1) There are no different forms of violent extremism used by College of Education to counter student attitude of violent extremism in terms of occupation, gender, age and experience. 2) There are no different factors of violent extremism that cause College of Education to counter student attitude of violent extremism in terms of occupation, gender, age and experience. 3) There are no different role among College of Education at Kuwait University in countering violent extremism among its students in terms of occupation, gender, age, and experience. Significant of the study The results of this study will be helpful to the college administration in developing college curricula and programs to confront the problem of the spread of violent extremism among students. In addition, these results will help faculty members use appropriate teaching methods to guide students to avoid practicing forms of violent extremism and introduce students to the types of violent extremism to prevent them. Literature Review The rapid growth of violent extremism concerns various politicians, militaries, sociologists, and educators worldwide who hope to restore peace, safety, and stability in all societies to allow civilization to flourish and develop; however, according to Gunaratna & Ali 2015), if people are frightened because of a specific threat, they cannot think stably. As a result, their production rates decrease, posing a severe threat to their families and themselves, affecting society. International Efforts to Confront Extremism and Terrorism The terrorist attacks in September 2011 led to a global war on terrorism. It transformed the methods used to counter extremism and terrorism globally and led to enacting a series of laws and executive orders to prevent other attacks. The U.N. Security Council Resolution (1373/2001) obliged all member countries under Chapter VII to take specific measures to Journal of Social Studies Education Research 2021: 12 (3), 204-224 207 combat terrorism and establish a special commission with authority to follow up with governments to counter terrorism. In addition, the European Council (Stahl, Baak, Adams & Peterson, 2021) found a work plan to counter violent extremism and terrorism by setting laws (10586/04), followed by the creation of a strategic agreement to prevent terrorism (Stephens, Sieckelinck & Boutellier, 2021). Recently, the Assembly, U. G. (2015). issued a work plan to counter violent extremism and terrorism called the Security General Plan of Action to Prevent Violent Extremism (PAVE). In this context, the flexibility of this plan has been emphasized. Different sources cite different definitions of violent extremism. For instance, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (2016) defines violent extremism as encouragement, condescension, justification, or support for committing a violent act to achieve political, ideological, or economic goals (Ty, 2021). On the other hand, the United Nations has defined terrorism as acts that endanger innocent human lives, threaten political freedoms, or violate human dignity (Baker et al., 2017). In general, terrorism is the use of coercion to subdue a party to the will of the terrorist. According to Heath-Kelly, (2017), extremism is opposed by words or actions of fundamental British values, including democracy, the rule of law, individual freedom, mutual respect, and tolerance between different religions and beliefs. The present study agrees with Pearson, (2020) who state that violent extremism is the failure to accept or allow another point of view and the belief that only one’s point of view is correct. Indicators and Forms of Violent Extremism Several indicators show how violent extremism and terrorism affect youths, and early indicators appear among some young people (UNESCO, 2016). Additionally, repetitive use of the internet and websites related to violent extremism and the use of or reference to conspiracy theories can be alarming indicators of this issue. Kurzman, Kamal & Yazdiha (2017) mention other factors like traveling to areas with conflict and war, providing moral support to extremist and terrorist groups, conspiring to harm others, storing weapons, and providing false information as the leading causes of violent extremism. Factors Leading to the Spread of Violent Extremism among Youths Many factors attract youths to join violent extremism and terrorism activities, including neglect, inequality, discrimination and persecution, limited opportunities, and the denial of civil rights and freedoms (UNESCO, 2016). The factors leading to violent extremism and terrorism can be divided into the following groups. Alajimi Political factors Political factors are some of the most common causes affecting youths and leading them to violent extremism or to join extremist and terrorist groups. These factors involve the denial of civil freedoms and political rights and include repressive regimes that violate human rights, the spread of corruption, a lack of law enforcement, inability of the government to provide security, and government support for terrorist organizations (Choi, 2016) Moreover, a lack of justice under the pretext of national security and political conflicts affect civil life, and so does political exclusion on ethnic grounds (Kurzman, Kamal, & Yazdiha, 2017). Social and cultural factors Many social and cultural causes spread extremism and terrorism. According to Viana & da Silva (2021), the FBI has addressed some of these factors to prevent violent extremism in schools. However, several social and cultural reasons influence young people and push them toward extremism and terrorism (Agnese, 2016). These influences include the influence of civil society institutions such as mosques and churches; the spread of a hateful culture in society; disrespect for the beliefs, values, and opinions of others; a sense of isolation, marginalization, exclusion, and social inequality among groups of society; the feeling of a loss of dignity in the community; loss of national identity; and the lack of a sense of social belonging. Economic factors Economic factors, particularly deteriorating economic conditions, encourage youths to join violent extremism. Additionally, the spread of financial corruption in the institutions of society, poverty, unemployment, and a lack of suitable employment opportunities for young people encourage them to engage in violent extremism (Viana & da Silva, 2021; Stephens, Sieckelinck & Boutellier, 2021). Educational Factors There is no doubt that young people's lack of access to high-quality education is one of the most severe reasons for increasing extremism and terrorism in society. The educational factors mentioned by Chomsky and Papp (2013) describe the problems in society due to the lack of education policies. Other influential factors include failure of the curriculum to instill positive attitudes towards society, lack of interest in educational media and information programs, and lack of educational activities that contribute to filling leisure time among young people. Journal of Social Studies Education Research 2021: 12 (3), 204-224 209 The Role of Education in Countering Violent Extremism Education is a tool through which a community can achieve its goals. It plays a significant role in preparing youth mentally, physically, emotionally, and socially to become productive members of society. The former British Prime Minister, Tony Blair, stated that security measures on their own would not defeat violent extremism. Therefore, education must also be engaged in this battle to achieve victory (Ghosh et al., 2016). The U.N. has also considered education in its strategy as the prime fundamental pillar to counter violent extremism and terrorism through a culture of peace, justice, the spread of ethics, tolerance, and respect for all religions (Jerome & Elwick, 2020). Accordingly, establishing a suitable learning system is encouraged, along with programs that raise awareness about all aspects of society. Furthermore, Security Council Legislation (2015) emphasizes the role of media, the civil community, religious entities, economic sectors, and educational institutions in establishing a healthy social environment that does not provoke or encourage extremism and terrorism. The action plan of the U.N. Security Council (Assembly (2015) emphasizes the need to increase investment in education to combat and prevent the spread of violent extremism among youth. The U.N. Secretary General's Plan of Action deems high-quality education as the foundation for preventing extremism and terrorism. According to this plan, education has a role in preventing conflicts, spreading a culture of peace, teaching human rights, facing violent extremism through emphasizing critical thinking, encouraging students to accept differences, and expressing points of view in peaceful ways (Jerome & Elwick, 2020). UNESCO’s Teacher's Guide on the Prevention of Violent Extremism reaffirms that education could help learners upgrade their communication skills, improve dialogue to face differences with others, and learn peaceful ways to make necessary changes. Moreover, it could promote accepting diversity and social, cultural, ethnic, and religious differences in society and respect for minorities (Choi, S. H. (2016). According to Ghosh, Manuel, Chan & Dilimulati (2016), specific procedures can achieve this. First, the level of general education should be modified to battle youth unemployment. Second, critical thinking skills and decision-making skills should be enhanced. Third, curricula that promote diversity and human rights need to be developed. Moreover, courses should be designed to emphasize anti-racism education and focus on implanting ethical and proper religious education that promotes the acceptance of diversity and differences ( Mohammadi, 2021)). The current curricula need to be reconsidered to omit any parts that might provoke extremism and the spread of hateful culture among youth. It is Alajimi essential to ensure that the curriculum contains the following types of education due to their essential roles in battling extremism and terrorism. First, peace education should be included to spread a culture of peace, tolerance, and cross-cultural and interfaith dialogues to teach youth peaceful ways to solve conflicts (Ghosh, Manuel, Chan & Dilimulati, 2016). Second, there should be a significant emphasis on human rights, social justice, and gender equality, which are essential to strengthening peace and reducing the spread of extremism and terrorism (UNESCO, 2016). Several terrorist organizations in many countries worldwide have been able to break through to schools and universities to recruit students to serve their goals and spread their extremist ideas (Christodoulou, 2020). Therefore, communities represented by educational ministries must pay attention to the importance of having plans and strategies to counter violent extremism and embed them within curricula and educational programs. Moreover, it is vital to select and train educators who respect cultural and religious diversity, are well-prepared to face extremism and terrorism, and serve as good role models for youth through sincerity, impartiality, non-dependence, and non-racism (Kurzman, Kamal & Yazdiha, 2017; Tolba, 2018). The majority of the studies discussed agree on the dangers of violent extremism and terrorism for societies. Furthermore, they indicate a need to pay attention to education to protect youths from extremist and terrorist activities, behaviors, and ideas, which have spread in many countries in the past decade. The current study aims to analyze concepts of violent extremism and terrorism and acknowledgment their forms. It also investigates the reasons behind their prevalence and the role of educational institutions in countering this phenomenon. Thus, the present study differs from previous studies to shed light on Kuwaiti society and identify the manifestations and causes of extremism in the College of Education in Kuwait. Furthermore, one of the aims is to present suggestions and solutions to help prevent college youth from being affected by or involved in extremist or terrorist groups. Methodology Design This research adopts a descriptive method as the most appropriate approach for this type of study, which is meant to describe a phenomenon and reach a generalization by analyzing and reviewing previous research (Creswell, 2013). This study used multivariate analysis as it research design and accordingly quantitative approach that relied upon statistical tool to analyze data. The purposes of this study are to describe three phenomena of violent extremism in the university including forms of violent extremism, causes of the violent Journal of Social Studies Education Research 2021: 12 (3), 204-224 211 extremism and the role of faculty members to hold violent extremism in the university. Specifically, this study employed multivariate analysis to MANOVA analysis was used to analyze data. The purposes of the study were to examine whether college of education at Kuwait University take the forms and causes of violent extremism among students. Specifically, the differences are elaborated into occupation, gender, age, and experience. The study took place at Kuwait University. The Study Sample The number of college students for the academic year 2018/2019 is 5837. The number of male students is 552, while the number of female students is 5285. The number of faculty members in the college reached 192, including 89 females and 103 males (Kuwait University, 2018). Of the whole population, the researcher assigned 545 as sample of this study. The sample include 119 faculty members (44 female and 75 male), and 426 students (310 female and 116 male). Table 1 shows the characteristics of the research sample. Table 1. Characteristic of the sample of this study Demography F % Faculty members (N=192) Male 103 53.7 Female 89 46.3 More than 25 years of age 100 52.1 Less than 25 years of age 92 47.9 More then 10 years experience to counter violent extremism 135 70.3 Less then 10 years experience to counter violent extremism 57 29.7 Students (N=426) Male 310 72.8 Female 116 27.2 Above 25 years of age 300 70.4 Below 25 years of age 126 29.6 2 years to counter violent extremism 202 47.4 More than 2 years to counter violent extremism 224 52.6 Instruments The current study used a questionnaire that consisted of three indexes: violent extremism, causes of violent extremism and effect of faculty member to handle extremism violence. Each Alajimi question in the questionnaire requires a Yes No answer. The first index focused on violent extremism forms among students examined and consisted of 7 items. The items include: (1) Use of threatening (intimidating) language against those who disagree with their opinions, (2) Clashes and aggressive verbal violations, (3) Distributing posters and leaflets that provoke conflicts and trouble, (4) Strikes and running extremist riots, (5) Damaging public facilities, (6) Fighting and causing harm to others, and (7) Writing extremist phrases on the walls of the college. The second index of the questionnaire focused on factors that cause violent extremism among students consisted of 9 items. The items are: (1) Discrimination and inequality in academics, (2) The spread of nepotism, (3) The impact of the media and social networks, (4) Lack of entertainment and sports activities where students can spend their leisure time, (5) Existence of instructors who approve of the ideas of extremist groups, (6) Lack of a sense of belonging to the community, (7) Depriving students of their rights, (8) Civil liberties and freedom of opinions, and (9) Loss of national identity. Finally, the third one focused on the role of the faculty to counter violent extremism among students and consisted of 9 items. These are: (1) Developing the skills of communication, dialogue, and accepting different opinions of others, (2) Teaching human rights and spreading a culture of peace and tolerance among students, (3) Increasing the awareness of the dangers of extremism and terrorism among students, (4) Paying attention to educational media to spread love, cooperation, and understanding among students, (5) Teaching principles and values of citizenship to all students, (6) Purifying the curriculum of the college from all that provokes hatred and extremism, (7) Directing the curriculum to focus on societal issues and the needs of youth, (8) Applying rules and regulations of the college to everyone, and (9) Training members of the teaching staff on ways and methods to face extremism. Validity of the Instrument The validity test aimed to ensure that the instrument tests what is meant to test (Creswell, 2013). To ensure the validity of the questionnaire in terms of comprehensiveness, importance, languages, and clarity, validity was tested through two ways: Face Validity The questionnaire was designed in Arabic and sent to seven experts in curriculum and instruction, instructional design, and educational psychology. The experts were asked to review the questionnaire before finalizing it. According to the reviewers’ feedback, some of Journal of Social Studies Education Research 2021: 12 (3), 204-224 213 the statements have been edited, added to, or deleted to conclude with (25) items divided into three indexes to ensure a high level of instrument validity. The researcher has used a method of average for each item evaluated by the seven reviewers and eliminated only the items that obtained less than 3 scores out of 5. In addition, each reviewer was given a form containing research questions and objectives. The reviewers were provided with a scale from 1 to 5 to evaluate the relevance of each statement in the questionnaire. The reviewers were also given an option to make some changes, if necessary, to the items. Content Validity An inter-item correlation test using KMO analysis was employed to validate the instrument's content by identifying the correlation between the score of each of the questionnaire items and the total instrument score and each of the statements and the category to which it belongs. In addition, a correlation test was conducted among the scores of the three axes of the questionnaire and the total instrument score. Table 2 describes the inter-item correlations. Table 2. Questionnaire’s Inter-Item Correlations Items of forms of VE Items of factors causing VE Items related to the role of education Statement Index Correlation Statement Index Correlation Statement Index Correlation 1 0.639* 1 0.767* 1 0.731* 2 0.741* 2 0.638* 2 0.736* 3 0.743* 3 0.642* 3 0.622* 4 0.539* 4 0.719* 4 0.732* 5 0.727* 5 0.532* 5 0.525* 6 0.643* 6 0.725* 6 0.619* 7 0.303* 7 0.630* 7 0.641* 8 0.718* 8 0.740* 9 0.534* 9 0.734* * significant at α=0.05 The table 2 above shows a high correlation between the statements, the total instrument score, and the items and their relevant category. That means the questionnaire instrument used in this study is internally valid in addition to face validity. Reliability Test Reliability test of this instrument was analyzed using Cornbach Alpha coefficient. Table 3 shows that reliability coefficients ranged from (0.797-0.821) for the three categories. Therefore, the result for the total questionnaire equals (0.799), which means the overall high reliability of scales used in the survey. Alajimi Table 3. Summary Statistics of Reliability Test Category Statement No. Cronbach’s alpha Items of forms of VE 7 .797 Items of factors causing VE 9 .779 Items related to the role of education 9 .821 Total 25 .799 Data Collection Data of this study were collected through the online survey questionnaire to use Google platform. The first questionnaire was distributed to 200 faculty members and 500 students at Kuwait University. Of the 200 faculty members, 192 answers were replied properly. Additionally of 500 students, 426 replies were considered proper. Each reply was shorted its frequency appropriate to three indexed: violent extremism, causes of violent extremism and effect of faculty member to counter violent extremism. Further, the index was adjusted to factors affecting the involvement to counter violent extremisms, including: occupation, gender, age, and experience. Data analysis This study used MANOVA for the data analysis operated using SPSS released 29 software. Through this statistical tool, descriptive statistics data and hypothesis testing can be obtained accordingly. At the first step, each research question was elaborated its descriptive statistics data on the mean score, frequency, and the rate percentage. Research question (1) 7 items on the violent extremism are elaborated in terms of mean score, frequency and rate percentage. Furthermore, to see the different effect of demographic t-test was used though the hypothesis testing. Similarly, research question (2) that emphasized on causes of violent extremism and research questions (3) that see the effectiveness of lecturer’s role to prevent violent extremism are elaborated each items descriptively and their interaction effects through hypothesis testing using t-test. Through this analysis, answers to the forms of violent extremisms, causes of violent extremisms, and the role of faculty members to counter violent extremism can be elaborated descriptively and the different attributes of the faculty members and students were significantly identified. Results and Discussion The study includes three questions and three null hypotheses, and the analysis of the following results is to answer these questions and verify the hypotheses. Journal of Social Studies Education Research 2021: 12 (3), 204-224 215 RQ1: What are the forms of violent extremism among the College of Education at Kuwait University to counter student violent extremism in terms of occupation, gender, age, and experience? It has been stated that the most prominent forms of violent extremism among college students include clashes and aggressive verbal violations, fighting and causing harm to others, and the use of threatening (intimidating) language against those who disagree with their opinions. As presented in Table 4, the highest mean rating of 4.11 was obtained for item 2, "Clashes and aggressive verbal violations," followed by item 9, "fighting and causing harm to others," with a mean of 4.10. The participants also mentioned that the most noticeable forms of extremism often appeared during student elections. However, some of these forms agreed with those presented by Ty (2021). Moreover, the indicators mentioned by Macaluso (2016) did not occur among Kuwaiti students, such as traveling to war areas, murder conspiracies, using weapons, or financing extremist and terrorist groups. Table 4. Forms of violent extremism among students at the College of Education at Kuwait University No. Items Mean S.D. Rank 2 Clashes and aggressive verbal violations 4.11 1.232 1 6 Fighting and causing harm to others 4.10 1.020 2 1 Use of threatening (intimidating) language against those who disagree with their opinions 3.84 1.248 3 3 Distributing posters and leaflets that provoke conflicts and trouble. 3.82 1.421 4 4 Strikes and running extremist riots. 3.81 1.352 5 7 Damaging public facilities. 3.80 1.372 6 5 Writing extremist phrases on the walls of the college. 3.78 1.211 7 Table 5 related to the first null hypothesis: There are no significant differences between the faculty members and the students regarding the forms of violent extremism among students at the College of Education at Kuwait University (due to occupation, gender, age, or experience). It is shown in Table 5 that the value of the t-test related to the occupation is 1.097, and the level of significance is .290 > .05. It means that there are no significant differences between the responses of the participants due to the profession. As for gender, the t-test value is Alajimi 3.059, and the significance level is .331 < .05 indicating statistically significant differences between the participants due to gender. As for age, the t-test value is 1.366, and the significance level is .363 > .05, indicating no statistically significant differences related to age. Finally, the value of the t-test related to experience with violent extremism is 1.410, and the level of significance is .389 > .05. It was pointed out that there was no statistical significance associated with this experience, which means accepting the null hypothesis regarding occupation, age and experience, and rejecting it regarding the gender variable, as the results showed statistically significant differences related to this variable. This indicates that the prevalence of violent extremism forms among male students is higher than among female students. This may be due to the feminine nature that tends to peace and dialogue and hates violence. Table 5. T-test results and level of significance related to the forms of violent extremism among students at the College of Education at Kuwait University Significance level T-test S/D M N Participants Types .290 1.097 1.132 4.011 119 Faculty member Occupation 1.215 4.086 426 Student .0331* 3.059 2.885 2.93 354 F Gender 1.114 4,021 191 M .363 1.366 1.057 4.030 119 More than 25 Age 1.313 4.100 426 Less than 25 .389 1.410 1.101 4.012 102 More than 10 Experience with violent extremism 1.442 3.996 443 Less Than 10 * significant at α=0.05 RQ2: What are the factors that the College of Education at Kuwait University make to control the spread of violent extremism in terms of occupation, gender, age, and experience? As shown in Table 6, the respondents mentioned several causes that drive youth to practice violent extremism. The causes are specified in item 3, "the impact of the media and social Journal of Social Studies Education Research 2021: 12 (3), 204-224 217 networks," which had a mean of 4.16, as well as item 2, "the spread of nepotism," with a mean of 4.11. Another cause mentioned in item 1, "discrimination and inequality in academics," with a mean of 3.94, and item 4, "lack of entertainment and sports activities where students can spend their leisure time," with a mean of 3.91. A few participants mentioned other causes with a lower influence, such as the existence of instructors who approve of the ideas of extremist groups, a loss of national identity, lack of a sense of belonging to the community, and depriving students of their rights, civil liberties, and freedom of opinions. There were no indicators of curricula or courses that contained topics that promoted a culture of hatred among students. These results agree with those mentioned in other studies (Choi, 2016; Macaluso, 2016). Table 6. Factors causing the spread of violent extremism among students at the College of Education at Kuwait University No. Items Mean S.D. Rank 3 The impact of the media and social networks. 4.16 1.231 1 2 The spread of nepotism. 4.11 1.022 2 1 Discrimination and inequality in academics. 3.94 1.251 3 4 Lack of entertainment and sports activities where students can spend their leisure time. 3.91 1.415 4 5 Existence of instructors who approve of the ideas of extremist groups. 3.84 1.452 5 9 Loss of national identity. 3.80 1.382 6 6 Lack of a sense of belonging to the community. 3.77 1.231 7 7 Depriving students of their rights. 3.59 1.433 8 8 Civil liberties and freedom of opinions. 3.10 1.689 9 Table 7 relates to the second null hypothesis, which states: There are no significant differences between the faculty members and the students regarding the causes of the spread of violent extremism among students at the College of Education at Kuwait University (due to occupation, gender, age, or experience). Table 7 shows that the t-test value related to occupation is 1.188 and the significance level is .201 > .05. As for gender, the t-test value is 1.373, and the significance level is .289 > .05. Regarding age, the t-test value is 1.055, and the significance level is .311 > .05. Finally, as for the experience with violent extremism, the t-test value is 1.480, and the significance level is Alajimi .311 > .05. These results indicate no statistical differences between the participants' responses regarding the factors causing the spread of violent extremism among college students. This means that the second null hypothesis is accepted. Table 7. T-test results and level of significance related to the factors causing the spread of violent extremism among students at the College of Education at Kuwait University Significance level T-test S/D M N Participants Types .201 1.188 1.116 3.841 119 Faculty member Occupation 1.201 3.792 426 Student .289 1.373 1.450 3.666 354 F Gender 1.280 3.823 191 M .115 1.055 1.071 3.799 119 More than 25 Age 1.769 3.693 426 Less than 25 .311 1.480 1.121 3.711 102 More than 10 Experience with violent extremism 1.742 3.801 443 Less Than 10 * significant at α=0.05 RQ 3: What is the role of the College of Education at Kuwait University in countering violent extremism among its students in terms of occupation, gender, age, and experience? The participants stressed the importance of the role of the College of Education in confronting the spread of violent extremism among its students through the implementation of the following measures, as shown in Table 8. The first was item 2, "Teaching human rights and spreading a culture of peace and tolerance among students," followed by item 1, "Developing the skills of communication, dialogue, and accepting different opinions of others," which received the highest means (4.27 and 4.22, respectively). Next was item 6, "Teaching principles and values of citizenship to all students," with a mean of 3.92, followed by item 4, "Increasing the awareness of the dangers of extremism and terrorism among students," with a mean of 3.86, and item 5, "Paying attention to educational media to spread love, cooperation, and understanding among students," with a mean of 3.81. Journal of Social Studies Education Research 2021: 12 (3), 204-224 219 Also among items with the highest means were item 11, "Training members of the teaching staff on ways and methods to face extremism," with a mean of 3.80, item 7, "Purifying the curriculum of the college from all that provokes hatred and extremism," with a mean of 3.73, item 9, "Applying rules and regulations of the college to everyone," with a mean of 3.51, and item 8, "Directing the curriculum to focus on societal issues and the needs of youth," with a mean of 3.06. The items that had lower mean scores were "Developing an educational strategy to limit the spread of extremism among students," "Encouraging students to comprehend the ties between the local and global communities," "Linking the college curriculum to the needs of the labor market in society," "Banning external influences from affecting the educational environment," and "Providing entertainment and sports activities to fill the students' free time." These roles agreed with what has been mentioned in the recommendations by Pearson, (2020), Muwajdah (2016), and Svennevig, Jerome, & Elwick, (2021)). Table 7 indicates no significant differences (p<0.05) between the faculty members and the students regarding the role of the faculty of education at Kuwait University to counter violent extremism among its students. Table 8. Role of the College of Education at Kuwait University in countering violent extremism among its students. No. Items Mean S.D. Rank 2 Teaching human rights and spreading a culture of peace and tolerance among students. 4.27 1.244 1 1 Developing the skills of communication, dialogue, and accepting different opinions of others. 4.22 1.024 2 5 Teaching principles and values of citizenship to all students. 3.92 1.242 3 3 Increasing the awareness of the dangers of extremism and terrorism among students. 3.86 1.443 4 4 Paying attention to educational media to spread love, cooperation, and understanding among students. 3.81 1.452 5 9 Training members of the teaching staff on ways and methods to face extremism. 3.80 1.394 6 6 Purifying the curriculum of the college from all that provokes hatred and extremism. 3.73 1.411 7 8 Applying rules and regulations of the college to everyone. 3.51 1.441 8 7 Directing the curriculum to focus on societal issues and the needs of youth. 3.06 1.693 9 Table 9 relates to the third null hypothesis, which states: There are no significant differences between the faculty members and the students regarding the role of the Faculty of Education at Kuwait University in countering violent extremism among its students (due to occupation, gender, age, or experience). Alajimi Table 9 shows no statistically significant differences between the participants' responses regarding the role of the College of Education in countering the spread of violent extremism among students. The evidence for this is the significance levels .210, .453, .331, and .394 for each occupation, gender, age, and experience variables are bigger than (.05). Thus, this hypothesis is acceptable. Table 9. T-test results and level of significance related to the role of the College of Education at Kuwait University in countering violent extremism among its students. Significance level T-test S/D M N Participants Types .210 1.087 1.122 4.511 119 Faculty member Occupation 1.415 4.163 426 Student .452 1.444 1.393 4.777 354 F Gender 1.337 3.974 191 M .331 1.143 1.236 4.595 119 More than 25 Age 1.890 3.896 426 Less than 25 .394 1.215 1.231 4.401 102 More than 10 Experience with violent extremism 1.799 4.299 443 Less Than 10 * significant at α=0.05 The findings of this study confirm that three prevalent forms of violent extremism exist. They are (1) Clashes between students and aggressive verbal violations, (2) Fighting and causing harm to others, (3) threatening (intimidating) language against those who disagree with their opinions, and (4) Putting up posters and leaflets that provoke conflicts and troubles. These results are consistent with the findings of many other studies (Ty, 2021; Macaluso, 2016; Mawajdeh et al., 2017). In general, young people are affected by global and regional events. Satellite stations and social networking sites play significant roles in spreading such forms of violent extremism. Regarding the reasons that drive students to violent extremism, the study found the following evident: (1) The impact of the media and social networks, (2) The spread of nepotism in society, and (3) Discrimination and inequality in academics. The reasons mentioned above Journal of Social Studies Education Research 2021: 12 (3), 204-224 221 are consistent with the findings of both Choi (2016) and Macaluso (2016). The reasons for the spread of these forms may be due to several factors, such as wars and the spread of extremist groups in several places. There are also internal reasons, such as administrative corruption, unemployment, negative media, and the failure of education to perform its role in society. Finally, as for the role of education to reduce the spread of violent extremism, the study showed that (1) Teaching human rights and spreading a culture of peace and tolerance among students, (2) Developing the skills of communication, dialogue, and accepting different opinions of others, (3) Teaching principles and values of citizenship to all students, (4) Increasing the awareness of the dangers of extremism and terrorism among students, and (5) Purifying the curriculum of the college from all that provokes hatred and extremism. These roles are consistent with those indicated in the literature and other studies on this subject (Donohue, 2021; Lee & Lee, 2020; Muwajdah, 2016; Soyer, 2019; Svennevig et al., 2021; Veenkamp & Zeiger, 2014). Given the close relationship between violent extremism and terrorism, research on this topic faces difficulties from university officials and social pressure groups. There was hesitation from some participants before they were assured of the confidentiality of the data and that it was only for educational research to develop the curricula and programs of the college. There are some faculty members, although they are few, who are characterized by violent extremism and even belong to groups that practice some of the violent extremism in society. As is well known, the university is a part of society that is affected and affected by what is happening in it. All of the above had a negative impact on some of the study results Conclusions and Recommendations In this study, three questions related to the forms and causes of violent extremism among students of the College of Education at Kuwait University were answered. In addition to determining the role of the college in limiting its spread. The study also addressed three null hypotheses about any statistically significant differences between the categories of participants on violent extremism. The participants agreed on the forms of violent extremism, the factors of its spread among students, and the college's role in confronting it. However, it was also found from the responses of the female participants that they disagree with males about the forms of violent extremism. From the researcher's point of view, this may be due to the difference between females and males in terms of emotions, ways of expressing an Alajimi opinion, the female's tendency to peace, the style of calm dialogue, and her lack of inclination to violence. Violent extremism and terrorism are a considerable danger for Kuwaiti youth, especially the College of Education students, because they are future teachers. The spread of several indicators and forms of violent extremism has been noticed among college students, such as increased clashes, aggressive verbal violations, and fights between students, especially during student elections. In addition, violent extremism has also been observed using threatening and intimidating language against those who disagree with ideas and orientations. The faculty members attributed this phenomenon to several causes, such as the impact of media, social networks, and the spread of nepotism, discrimination, and inequality among students. The College of Education should reconsider its affiliate curriculum and programs to focus on developing critical thinking skills. They need to teach students how to solve problems legally and peacefully without being inclined to extremism. Additionally, the focus should be on training members of the teaching staff in the styles and methods of countering violent extremism and taking advantage of the experiences and strategies of developed countries to limit this phenomenon. Based on the results of this study, it is suggested that similar studies be conducted on high school students in the state of Kuwait to reduce this phenomenon among teenage youth. Acknowledgment The author is very thankful to all the associated personnel that contributed to this research. References Assembly, U. G. (2015). Plan of action to prevent violent extremism. Report of the Secretary- General. Disponible sur https://www. un. org/counterterrorism. Christodoulou, E. (2020). Boosting resilience” and “safeguarding youngsters at risk”: Critically examining the European Commission’s educational responses to radicalization and violent extremism. London Review of Education, 18 (1): 18–34. https://doi.org/10.18546/LRE.18.1.02 Choi, S. H. (2016). A teacher's guide on the prevention of violent extremism. ailable atAv https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b- d&q=Choi%2C+S.+H.+%282016%29.+A+teacher%27s+guide+on+the+prevention+of+v iolent+extremism.%E2%80%8F. Retrieved on 12 August 2021. https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-d&q=Choi%2C+S.+H.+%282016%29.+A+teacher%27s+guide+on+the+prevention+of+violent+extremism.%E2%80%8F https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-d&q=Choi%2C+S.+H.+%282016%29.+A+teacher%27s+guide+on+the+prevention+of+violent+extremism.%E2%80%8F https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-d&q=Choi%2C+S.+H.+%282016%29.+A+teacher%27s+guide+on+the+prevention+of+violent+extremism.%E2%80%8F https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-d&q=Choi%2C+S.+H.+%282016%29.+A+teacher%27s+guide+on+the+prevention+of+violent+extremism.%E2%80%8F Journal of Social Studies Education Research 2021: 12 (3), 204-224 223 Donohue, D. K. (2021). Culture, Cognition, and College: How Do Cultural Values and Theories of Intelligence Predict Students’ Intrinsic Value for Learning?, Journal of Culture and Values in Education, 4(1), 1-14, https://doi.org/10.46303/jcve.2020.3 Ghosh, R., Manuel, A., Chan, W. A., & Dilimulati, M. (2016). Education and Security. A global literature review on the role of education. Gunaratna, R., & Ali, M. B. (Eds.). (2015). Terrorist rehabilitation: A new frontier in counter-terrorism (Vol. 7). World Scientific. Heath-Kelly, C. (2017). The geography of pre-criminal space: epidemiological imaginations of radicalisation risk in the UK Prevent Strategy, 2007–2017. Critical studies on terrorism, 10(2), 297-319. Jerome, L., & Elwick, A. (2020). Teaching about terrorism, extremism and radicalisation: Some implications for controversial issues pedagogy. Oxford Review of Education, 46(2), 222-237. Kurzman, C., Kamal, A., & Yazdiha, H. (2017). Ideology and threat assessment: law enforcement evaluation of muslim and right-wing extremism. Socius, 3, 2378023117704771. Lee, A., & Lee, A. (2020). Experience with Diversity is Not Enough: A Pedagogical Framework for Teacher Candidates that Centers Critical Race Consciousness. Journal of Curriculum Studies Research, 2(2), 40-59. https://doi.org/10.46303/jcsr.2020.9 Macaluso, A. (2016). From countering to preventing radicalization through education: Limits and opportunities. Hague Inst. Glob. Justice Work. Pap, 18, 1-15. Mawajdeh, B. S., Talhouni, M. H., Rashaydeh, M. S., & Hussein, I. J. (2017). The Culture of Peace and the Prevention of Terrorism from the Perspectives of Islamic Education and the United Nations. Journal of Education and Practice, 8(1), 43-56. Mohammadi, M. (2021). The Role of Education in Combating Violent Extremism in Developing Countries with an Emphasis on Afghanistan, Shanlax International Journal of Education, 9(3), 273-287. Pearso, E. (2020). Between Protection and Participation: Affect, Countering Violent Extremism and Possibility for Agency. New Direction in Women Pease and Security, 91- 110. Soyer, G. (2019). Urie Bronfenbrenner: The Ecology of Human Development Book Review. Journal of Culture and Values in Education, 2(2), 77-80. https://doi.org/10.46303/jcve.02.02.6 Stahl, G., Baak, M., Schulz, S., Adams, B., & Peterson, A. (2021). Preventing violent extremism: Resourcing, stakeholder strategies and fostering belonging and connection in Australian schools. British Educational Research Journal. https://doi.org/10.46303/jcsr.2020.9 https://doi.org/10.46303/jcve.02.02.6 Alajimi Stephens, W., Sieckelinck, S., & Boutellier, H. (2021). Preventing violent extremism: A review of the literature. Studies in Conflict & Terrorism, 44(4), 346-361. Steven, D., Locke, R., & Rüttinger, L. (2019). Beyond 16: The Sigs and the Opportunity To Build A More Peaceful World. Driving Transformative Change, 26. Svennevig, H., Jerome, L., & Elwick, A. (2021). Countering violent extremism in education: a human rights analysis. Human Rights Education Review, 4(1), 91-110. Tolba, N. (2018). From Rebellion to Riots. Research in Social Sciences and Technology, 3(2), 93-114. https://doi.org/10.46303/ressat.03.02.6 Ty, R. (2021) Pedagogy and Curriculum to Prevent and Counter Violent Extremism. Teaching in a World of Violent Extremism, 48. United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). (2016). Global education monitoring report summary 2016: education for people and planet: creating sustainable futures for all. Unesco Viana, M. T., & da Silva, P. P. D. S. (2021). Preventing extremisms, taming dissidence: Islamic radicalism and black extremism in the US making of CVE. Critical Studies on Terrorism, 14(1), 24-46. Zembylas, M. (2021). The affective dimension of far right rhetoric in the classroom: the promise of agonistic emotions and affects in countering extremism. Discourse: Studies in the Cultural Politics of Education, 42(2), 267-281. https://doi.org/10.46303/ressat.03.02.6