Youth Outreach Program

The RCMP National Security Youth Outreach Program was introduced to address increasing concerns about the worldwide phenomenon of youth political violence. As a component of the RCMP National Security Community Outreach Program and the RCMP’s Bias-free Policing Strategy, it contributes to the RCMP’s goal of Safe Homes and Safe Communities and Canada’s Action Plan Against Racism .

The National Security Youth Outreach Program defines “youth” as young adults between the ages of 14 to 30. The main goal of the RCMP’s National Security Youth Outreach Program is to engage youth on national security issues.

The National Security Youth Outreach Program strives to:

• Inform and educate youth on national security in Canada (with emphasis on the RCMP’s role in ensuring national security of the public)
• Discuss and engage youth on national security issues (consulting with youth to understand their perspectives and concerns, as well as, to learn about the impact of national security on young adults)
• Identify and participate in research and programs (relevant to youth radicalization leading to violence, recruitment issues, extremist prevention, etc.)
• Involve youth and communities in protecting Canada’s national security.

Several initiatives have been undertaken to date. These include:

• classroom presentations for university students
• workshops and focus group discussions with high school students throughout Canada,
• presentations at conferences,
• as well as outreach to local community groups.

On the issue of youth extremism, there has been an analysis of research on youth radicalization leading to violence, recruitment of young adults by “hate and extremist groups” (including the Internet), and examining best practices on how to address these issues, including response and prevention.

Contact information

If you are interested in providing assistance and support in outreach initiatives, please don’t hesitate to contact the RCMP’s National Security Community Outreach Coordinator by e-mail.