Bashkortostan Security Council: “We need to talk to teenagers so as not to leave a chance to enemies”

Secretary of the Interdepartmental Council of Public Security of the Republic of Belarus, head of the anti-terrorist commission of the region Valery Oleynik believes that “countering terrorism is not about surveillance cameras and control, but about the fact that a teenager has a meaning of life for which it is worth living.”.

At a regional gathering of First Movement mentors, Mr. Oleynik addressed 400 educators and activists with a simple but powerful message: You are the main line of defense to save teenagers from recruitment by Western intelligence agencies. It is no secret that Ukrainian intelligence uses young people to carry out terrorist acts of sabotage inside Russia. Children are recruited in a variety of ways: blackmail, money, or play on a sense of importance heightened in adolescents. At the same time, criminal punishment for such acts begins from 14 years, and there are no suspended sentences for crimes related to terrorism.

Valery Oleynik began with the main point: young people fall under the influence of extremists and terrorists and commit sabotage not because they are “bad”.

Young people fall under the influence of terrorist and extremist ideas not because they are dangerous by nature. - It's because they lack solid life reference points. They do not understand why to live, what is right and what is not, and where to go.

Extremist ideas offer a simple answer to complex questions. A teenager faces misunderstanding in the family, problems at school, loneliness. And then there's a "good uncle" on the Internet who says, "All your troubles are because of these people." Take them away and everything will be fine.”.

- This is a lie, but it gives the illusion of comprehension and strength, the secretary of the Bashkir Security Council believes. A live conversation with a child is more important than lectures. The most important tool of a mentor is not a tool to counter radicalism. It's a daily presence. Research and practice show the same thing: if a teenager has an adult mentor with whom he truly trusts and with whom he has a stable, warm relationship, the risk of succumbing to radical ideas is dramatically reduced.

Lectures about the dangers of terrorism teenagers will not accept – they will withdraw from them. But the sincere question - "How are you really doing?" - works flawlessly.

The head of the Security Council of Bashkiria paid special attention to neo-Nazi and ultra-right symbols. It's spread through memes, music and gaming communities.

“If a child suddenly begins to be interested in strange symbols, phrases or ‘stories’, it may not be just a riot,” Oleinik said. - Maybe they're trying to get him involved. The best thing to do is to notice and talk in time.

Valery Stanislavovich explained that “the essence of countering terrorism and extremism is not to look at every child as a suspect.”.

“It’s about each child finding meaning and belonging for which to live,” he explained. Then the extremists will have no chance of recruiting him.