Version 1
: Received: 20 February 2023 / Approved: 21 February 2023 / Online: 21 February 2023 (08:43:06 CET)
Version 2
: Received: 9 April 2023 / Approved: 10 April 2023 / Online: 10 April 2023 (09:43:21 CEST)
How to cite:
Al-Badaynah, D.M.; Al-Assasfeh, R.; Ekici, S. Developing a Scale for Youth Extremism Across Arab Cultures. Preprints2023, 2023020355. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202302.0355.v2
Al-Badaynah, D.M.; Al-Assasfeh, R.; Ekici, S. Developing a Scale for Youth Extremism Across Arab Cultures. Preprints 2023, 2023020355. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202302.0355.v2
Al-Badaynah, D.M.; Al-Assasfeh, R.; Ekici, S. Developing a Scale for Youth Extremism Across Arab Cultures. Preprints2023, 2023020355. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202302.0355.v2
APA Style
Al-Badaynah, D.M., Al-Assasfeh, R., & Ekici, S. (2023). Developing a Scale for Youth Extremism Across Arab Cultures. Preprints. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202302.0355.v2
Chicago/Turabian Style
Al-Badaynah, D.M., Rami Al-Assasfeh and Siddik Ekici. 2023 "Developing a Scale for Youth Extremism Across Arab Cultures" Preprints. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202302.0355.v2
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to examine the problem of violent extremism among young people. Additionally, a youth violent extremism scale (YVES) was developed that takes into account the differences between and within Arab cultures. The goal was to produce a scale that could be used and tested within an Arab country or between Arab countries. The scale was developed in three stages: generation, refinement, and validation. A literature review and nomological network were utilized to show the scale's dimensions, correlations to those dimensions, and other relevant variables (such as the LSC, LSE, and criminality scale). A sample of 6726 young students from fifteen Arab countries and the authorities involved were selected. Findings showed that six factors were obtained through principal component factor analysis using Varimax and Kaiser normalization (29 items). A significant positive association was found (r=.651, p = 0.000), supporting the scale's validity. Using Cronbach's alpha, the scale reliability was strong and assessed at 0.98. The scale's construct validity was estimated by assessing the correlation between the Youth Violent Extremism scale and low self-control. A significant positive correlation (r=.651, p = 0.000) indicates the scale's validity. Findings showed significant differences between males and females in youth violent extremism (F = 13.678, α ≤0.000). Descriptive results showed, however, that females have a slightly higher mean of violent extremism than males (M =85.2 vs. 87.6), with a close variation (26 vs. 27) for males and females, respectively. In this study, a measurement tool was provided that can be used as a knowledge base for security strategies. The scale can be applied to identify legal, social, and educational policies and applications of violent extremism. Future research is needed to test the scale on different professions like teachers, police officers, and parents. Also, a need to test the scale on different age groups, settings, and cultures. A need for atheoretical and empirical framework for understanding and preventing youth violent extremism through promoting a more cohesive and resilient youth society.
Keywords
Scale; youth violent extremism; Arab countries; exclusion; intolerance; rigidity; social pessimism; grievances; violence; jihad
Subject
Environmental and Earth Sciences, Geography
Copyright:
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Commenter: Diab Al-Badaynah
Commenter's Conflict of Interests: Author