Early warning signs

A change of behaviour or appearance of your teenager may indicate involvement with hate groups.

Some of these telltale signs include:

• Sudden lack of interest in school.
• Adopting new groups of friends and staying out late without any explanation.
• Violence or secretive behaviour.
• Overt hostility to parents and family, disobedience, rudeness.
• Racist graffiti, drawings and doodling.
• Playing loud, heavy rock music with violent lyrics.
• Stereotyping and scape goating of certain groups; name calling, racial and religious slurs in conversation at all times.
• Making racist or bigoted comments about minorities, immigrants or foreigners.
• A marked repugnance to consider certain ethnic or religious groups as fully Canadian or even human.
• The wearing or displaying of Nazi propaganda and symbols such as swastikas or the Iron Cross and/or military clothing and paraphernalia.
• Becoming a skinhead or acquiring skinhead friends wearing black or red Dr. Marten’s combat boots. (keeping in mind that just because an individual is a skinhead or wears Dr. Marten's doesn't mean they are in a hate group)