Why do some students turn to dangerous groups?
The pressures on college students — particularly undergraduates to a new level of freedom and personal responsibility — include the exploration of new and untested ideas, the questioning of beliefs and attitudes that had gone unchallenged in childhood, the wrestling with who the young adult is and wishes to become, and the need to become part of a group that supports and helps define the students emerging persona. All of these elements combine to make the student vulnerable to groups that offer simplistic (and often idealistic) answers to lifes questions, promise a ready-made circle of friends, and provide a focal point on the confusing, troubling journey through late adolescence.
