Extremist Ideologies among Youth: A comparison of various Ethnic Groups residing in Quetta

Abstract

This study investigates the prevalence of extremist ideologies among youth and genders aged between 18-38 from various ethnic groups in Quetta, Pakistan. The multi-ethnic population of Quetta consisting of Hazara, Baloch, Pashtun, etc. (Punjabi, Urdu-speaking, mixed origin) has to manage complicated social and political issues. In this regard, vulnerability to extremist beliefs can be augmented due to ethnic and gender entanglements. A quantitative, cross-sectional, comparative design was employed. The Violent Extremism Scale (VES, 2023) was administered to 120 participants across four ethnic groups. Descriptive statistics summarized the data, ANOVA tested differences between ethnic groups, and an independent-samples t-test examined gender differences. The mean extremist ideology scores were highest among Baloch youth followed by Pashtun, Hazara and others. There was a higher score in males than in females with both ethnicity and gender having significant impact. It is suggested that culturally and demographically sensitive interventions which consist of educational schemes, community discourse, and youth counseling would decrease the risk of extremist ideologies among multi-ethnic youth in Quetta.