The Five Eyes intelligence alliance has released a joint analysis addressing the radicalisation of young people.

Their new report explores alarming trends and includes case studies from member nations - Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

“This first public research collaboration highlights how concerning and pressing this challenge is,” said ASIO Director-General Mike Burgess. 

He says 20 per cent of ASIO’s counter-terrorism cases involve young people. 

“In every one of the terrorist attacks, disruptions and suspected terrorist incidents in Australia this year, the alleged perpetrator was a young person.”

Since January 2020, the AFP and its Joint Counter Terrorism Teams (JCTT) have investigated 35 individuals aged 17 or younger, some as young as 12. Over half of these minors were charged with criminal offences. 

AFP Commissioner Reece Kershaw noted disturbing patterns, including the circulation of extremist propaganda videos across platforms like Discord, Telegram, and TikTok.  

“Youths are engaging with the same content across unrelated investigations,” Kershaw said. 

Minors, he added, are “digital natives” adept at navigating these platforms, which often provide anonymity and facilitate radicalisation.

The analysis reveals minors’ significant roles in extremist activities, from creating propaganda and recruiting peers to planning attacks. 

Though the threats span various ideologies - from right-wing extremism to Islamist extremism - the vulnerabilities are similar. 

Many minors are socially isolated, face mental health challenges, or experience neurodivergence, making them targets for grooming by extremists.

Case studies from the report illustrate the spectrum of incidents, including school shooting plots in Australia and New Zealand, bomb-making in the United States, and racially motivated attacks in the UK. 

Across nations, investigators have identified shared narratives and symbols, underscoring the global nature of this issue.

The report calls for a “whole-of-society” response, involving governments, educators, mental health providers, and technology companies. 

“Once ASIO and the AFP get involved, it is usually too late,” said Burgess, urging parents, teachers, and frontline workers to look for early signs of radicalisation.  

The intelligence leaders say governments should come up with strategies to limit access to extremist material online and promote awareness among families. 

The report stresses that early intervention can disrupt the path to violence, as evidenced by successful community-based countering violent extremism (CVE) programs highlighted in the report.

The findings will inform the Australian Government’s upcoming counter-terrorism strategy. 

The full report is accessible in PDF form, here.

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