Young people can be powerful challengers of the status quo; this is a time-honored dimension of their change agency. There are, however, young men, and increasingly young women, involved in violence and extremist groups and this has given rise to a picture of youth generally as a threat to global security and stability. However, the majority of young men and women who mount challenges to the status quo do so through peaceful protest, social critique, cultural expression, and online mobilization and organization. 

In the case of young people’s engagement in violence, the key drivers have been found to be discrimination and corruption.[i] This is all the more reason to work towards inclusion of young people in formal decision-making processes, so that they may grapple in a non-violent manner with the injustices and deprivation they experience. 

The Missing Peace:  Independent Progress Study on Youth, Peace and Security – a study mandated by the United Nations Security Council’s Resolution 2250 so that effective responses at local, national, regional, and international levels could be recommended – concluded that the “overarching consequence of … negative stereotypes is that they contribute to the marginalization and stigmatization of youth by framing young people as a problem to be solved, or an actual threat, rather than recognizing the assets and resources they offer, or the hopes and aspirations they articulate.”[ii]