Prevention of Right-Wing Extremism, Xenophobia and Racism in ...

Youth work
Although youth workers are regularly confronted with right-wing extremist youth, such situsitu- ations are not handled consistently. While most youth centres and youth organizations have
house rules forbidding discrimination and racism, these are often either not upheld or their
interpretation is equivocal. Some youth workers consciously choose to work with these youth.
Others absolutely do not tolerate certain behaviour and as a result avoid these youth. Yet
others totally negate the problem.
Problems also occur in the collaboration with the police. Although many youth workers
are prepared to cooperate with the police in the hopes of containing trouble and avoiding
problems, they have have a problem with passing information on to the police. They consider their
relationships with the youth to be based on mutual trust and confi dentiality dentiality so that they they can-
not pass on knowledge of the youth’s criminal violations.
Many youth workers and institutions have started to consider the matter more closely. The
National Bureau for combating racial discrimination (LBR – Landelijk Bureau ter bestrijding
van Rassendiscriminatie) and others have organized numerous workshops and training ses-
sions for youth workers. On the one hand, in order to improve their knowledge of the problem,
and on the other to assist in an effective response. A special fi le on this topic has been placed
on the LBR website for youth workers, instructors, and others. Many youth workers make use
of products such as exhibitions and fi lms and actively take up such topics as discrimination
and intolerance.
Unfortunately these activities seldom or insuffi ciently take root. They are usually too inciinci- dental, lack a solid foundation, barely reach the target group, and suffer from a lack of guiding
policy.
Education
Schools as a rule tend to keep problems to themselves, hoping thereby to avoid negative
pub licity. Nevertheless, much is known about how they deal with the problem. When things
real ly got out of control, a number of schools instituted a dress code forbidding the wearing of
clothes by Lonsdale and other brands at school. Many schools are more than able to avoid and
respond to problems. These integrate the problem in their security policy. The clear position
of the ministry is that combating discrimination and unwanted behaviour are part of security
considerations. Throughout the secondary school system attention is paid to growing up in a
multicultural society, knowledge about prejudices, discrimination and racism, and how to get
along with each other.
Schools are thus large scale consumers of products in this area. In the last few years the
number of Schools Without Racism and World Schools has grown considerably. School With-
out Racism and World School are elementary and secondary school projects respectfully with
which schools make a stand against discrimination and racism. Teachers are being trained in
how to react to racist comments and many schools actively participate in local networks.
Right-Extremist Sympathies among Adolescents in the Netherlands
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