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Archives of Public Health
Published in: Archives of Public Health 1/2019

Open Access 01-12-2019 | Public Health | Research

From social adversity to sympathy for violent radicalization: the role of depression, religiosity and social support

Authors: Cécile Rousseau, Ghayda Hassan, Diana Miconi, Vanessa Lecompte, Abdelwahed Mekki-Berrada, Habib El Hage, Youssef Oulhote

Published in: Archives of Public Health | Issue 1/2019

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Abstract

Background

Discrepancies among studies suggest that the relation between social adversity and sympathy for violent radicalization (SVR) is multifaceted and may differ according to social context. This paper examines the role of depression, religiosity and social support in the relation between social adversity (i.e., discrimination and exposure to violence) and SVR among college students in Quebec, Canada.

Methods

A total of 1894 students responded to an online questionnaire posted on the internet of eight colleges. Multilevel analyses were first conducted to account for the clustered nature of the data, followed by mediation and moderation analyses.

Results

First generation migrants reported less SVR than second generation youth and non-immigrants. The mediating and/or moderating role of depression, religiosity and social support was examined through causal inference models. Depression mediated the relation between social adversity and SVR, with depression scores accounting for 47% and 25% of the total effect between discrimination and exposure to violence and SVR scores, respectively. Religiosity and social support moderated the association between social adversity and SVR.

Conclusions

These results suggest that prevention programs should consider violent radicalization as a systemic issue which involves both minorities and the majority, although the specific balance between risk and protective factors may be influenced by local dynamics. They also question intervention measures targeting specifically migrants or ethno-cultural communities because of the risk of increasing profiling and stigmatization. Prevention programs should prioritize decreasing discrimination in colleges, as well as the provision of psychosocial support to depressed youth who experience social adversity.
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Metadata
Title
From social adversity to sympathy for violent radicalization: the role of depression, religiosity and social support
Authors
Cécile Rousseau
Ghayda Hassan
Diana Miconi
Vanessa Lecompte
Abdelwahed Mekki-Berrada
Habib El Hage
Youssef Oulhote
Publication date
01-12-2019
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
Archives of Public Health / Issue 1/2019
Electronic ISSN: 2049-3258
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s13690-019-0372-y

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