In recent years, Europe and the United States have witnessed a resurgence of militant right-wing extremist groups, networks, and incidents, marked by a surge in anti-immigration and Islamophobic violence, as well as anti-government attacks and assaults on political opponents, ethnic minorities, and the LGBTQ community. While this is not a new phenomenon—attacks by individuals affiliated with such movements and ideologies have increased by 320% over the past five years, according to the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Executive Directorate's Trends Alerts—the current scale and manifestation of this threat heighten insecurity, alarmism, and the urgency to design and implement comprehensive responses to curb its growing frequency and lethality.
Right-wing extremists, drawing on international networks, ideas, and personalities, continue to mobilize others, demonstrating exceptional capacity to spread propaganda, amplify their messages, and ultimately outreach and recruit children and youth. The demographic of supporters of white supremacist, national socialist, neo-Nazi, and similar ideologies is becoming increasingly younger and more violent. This rising tide of right-wing extremism, particularly its influence on youth, underscores the need to identify the factors driving youth radicalization and develop effective pathways to support their disengagement.