Xenophobia and youth extremism: origins and interrelations

Displays of extremism and xenophobia among the youth on the territory of Russia are not rare. The contribution analyzes the possible reasons and interrelations of xenophobia and youth extremism. It identifies three groups of reasons which may influence the origination of xenophobia and extremism: socio-economical, group and personal. It also discusses the results of the research of Klaus Vahl and his colleagues which allow to trace the possible ways of origination and development of xenophobia, aggressive and deviant behavior among young people. According to the researchers, the origins of xenophobia and related aggressive and hostile behavior can be found in the peculiarities of the adolescent’s behavior in the situation of meeting a stranger. K.Vahl analyzed four different ways of development of misanthropy, hostility toward “aliens”: aggressive behavior, xenophobia, deviant behavior, commitment to the ultra-right extremist ideology. The contribution describes the main forms of adolescents’ behavior toward a stranger of a different nationality and of the same one, as well as psychological factors which may influence the origination of xenophobia and define the content of preventive measures.