Understanding extremism in Scotland: research findings - summary

Views on extremism in Scotland

Stakeholders, the public and public sector practitioners felt that extremism is a problem in Scotland, but less so than it is elsewhere in the UK.

• 9% of the public viewed extremism as a big problem in Scotland, compared with 24% who viewed it as a big problem in the rest of the UK
• 5% of public sector practitioners viewed extremism as a big problem in Scotland, compared with 32% who viewed it as a big problem in the rest of the UK

Public sector practitioners felt that extremism has increased in Scotland over the last five years, while stakeholders had differing views as to whether it had increased or stayed the same over this period.

Most members of the public felt that extremism has increased in Scotland in the last five years, although there were some who felt it had declined.

Stakeholders and the public were also asked whether they feel the threat posed by extremism in Scotland will change in the next five years, and both groups felt that it is likely to increase.

Participants across the projects highlighted intra-Christian sectarianism as a prominent concern in Scotland, though they did not all definitively consider this to be a form of extremism.

Right-wing extremism was also highlighted as a prevalent concern in Scotland by stakeholders and public sector practitioners, while Islamist extremism was viewed as less of a problem. Members of the public did not spontaneously refer to right-wing or Islamist extremism, and were unsure about the existence of other forms of extremism in Scotland.

Growing concerns in Scotland highlighted by stakeholders and public sector practitioners included the incel^[1] movement and mixed, unclear or unstable ideologies^[2].

Across the projects there were high levels of uncertainty about the prevalence and nature of extremism in Scotland.