One of the most interesting and serious examples of this are the solutions presented to combat the radicalisation of young people. Older generations mean well and like any reasonable group are trying to find the answers to a growing problem. But when it comes to young people, it is hard to know what is going on in our minds.

When there is already so much resistance from young people to any government-designed or educational idea, it is not going to work.

The government's response?

To do exactly that by introducing a Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) program, in which community organisations specialising in education or counselling can apply for extra funding and become service providers. Hereby the government identifies who is at risk of radicalisation and forces them towards these service providers. Essentially, this program is saying to at-risk young men: "we think you would do something wrong and we're here to stop it". The presence of an evil Western force attempting to crush individualism and condemn all of Islam appears in young people's minds, pushing them further down the path of radicalisation.

The internet. My generation was born into it. Within it linger trillions of pieces of information and data, far too many for any government agency to properly monitor. Therefore, almost inevitably it has become the avenue for radical preachers to target young men. And for young men to reach out to others, form friendships and concoct plans. The internet has become one of the most powerful tools for the dissemination of ideas and Islamic State has harnessed this power very effectively and persistently. In my experience, empowering young people with the ability to question what is presented to them, especially in the face of terrorism or extremist ideologies, is another preventative radicalisation strategy.

To some extent the solution is education. Schools, universities and vocational institutions provide an opportunity to gather young people, radicalised and at risk, and deliver the same message to them all. Ideally education should transform the way people think and act. It must assume its central role in helping people to forge more just, peaceful, tolerant and inclusive societies. If our system taught this to all young people, we most definitely would not be having the conversations of this day. Although within my group at school we don't talk about radicalisation and Islam, perhaps it would help if we did. Making issues taboo and off-limits may well be worsening the situation. Instead, open, thorough conversations about the issues of the day promote a positive culture and empower young people with the ability to question and analyse what is presented to them.

Rather than government policies and forced programs, community leaders should be utilised. With a greater chance of engaging young people, they are trustworthy and approachable figures. The positive thing about radicalisation is that it operates in networks. Especially within alienated and marginalised youth, connecting with just one individual opens a pathway to numerous. The ripple effect that follows is powerful. During my work as Youth Ambassador for the Cancer Council, I noticed that connecting with just one young person from a certain group opened up communications with many others. Young people bind together, principally because we feel we are a generation misrepresented and not cared for.

"I don't blame them for going to fight," one of my male friends revealed to me, just yesterday. Intrigued, I probed him further. "We face the never-ending pressures of school, the burdens our parents bestow upon us and our own sense of ambition to mean something in the world. For many young men, IS provides an escape and a sense of meaning. It takes them away from the problems we face in our lives and introduces an ideology that, in essence, is prevailing," he said.

He is right.

The majority of radicalised young people did not have religious views before joining IS. IS just encapsulated everything good. Within young men, IS creates a sense of heroism, advocating the misconception that in this war between the West and extremism, those who join IS will emerge as valiant heroes.

It takes a huge amount of bravery to venture alone to Syria, to fight for a group you hardly know, and to leave behind everyone you love. Some great force is needed to push young men to this consequence. Unfortunately, IS has discovered and is utilising it.

Perhaps this is what our politicians and decision makers need to realise. Treating the radicalisation of young people as a national security issue and introducing blanket policies is not the answer. Consulting young people and community leaders could well be.

Rizina Yadav is a 15-year-old school student from Maitland.