Radicalisation of minors has become a persistent problem in Europe

A fascination of minors with violent extremism and participation in terrorist activity has been a growing trend in Europe in recent years. Participation has increased among young adult supporters of both radical Islamist and far-right ideologies.

The Internet plays a key role in radicalising minors of all ideologies. Minors typically participate by producing, translating, and distributing radical materials.

Participation in violent activities is also increasingly common. The authorities in Europe have disrupted several suspected terrorist attack plots involving minors in recent years, with one radical Islamist attack also committed by a minor in Europe last year.

Several European countries have expressed concern about the radicalisation of children and young adults. This phenomenon has evidently become a longer-term trend that also affects Finland. Even though its main focus in Finland remains young adults, extremist ideas have also been found to appeal to minors, with a rising number of observations of this phenomenon noted in recent years.

Public authorities must work together to combat radicalisation of children and young adults. Supo has arranged training on this topic for education sector staff in municipalities, for example.

Online communities are a key factor

Social media platforms have made radical ideologies and the operators and communities that represent them accessible to young people more readily and with fewer risks. Virtual communities provide an important peer group for people who support or are interested in extremist ideologies, enabling them to reinforce their views and gain acceptance for them.

These activities rely on closed messaging applications and discussion platforms that may be used to spread propaganda, and to incite or direct attacks. Members of smaller breakaway groups from larger communities may also be urged or encouraged to engage in operations outside the virtual environment.

While both radical Islamist and far-right online communities are typically international, there are also communities that are more local, or that bring together speakers of particular languages. Finnish young people also participate in these communities.

These networks are usually not the sole cause of radicalisation. There are many underlying predisposing factors. The sense of belonging provided by online communities and groups can nevertheless play a significant role in radicalisation. Users may turn to them for social approval or a sense of significance.

The growing importance of online activity has been found to accelerate individual radicalisation, with readiness for violent action developing more swiftly in cases that give the greatest cause for concern.

Children and young adults who have been exposed to extremist thinking in their immediate surroundings form a special case. These individuals are more susceptible than average to radicalisation. Intergenerational radicalisation also occurs in Finland within the settings of both far-right and radical Islamist activity.

Propaganda exploits popular culture

While radical operators do target propaganda at children and young adults, minors can also actively produce content for one another and for adults. Children in radical online communities may also pretend to be older and adopt roles that are similar to adults.

The producers of propaganda draw content from games and popular culture that are favoured by young people. Short videos, memes, and gamified content are skilfully employed nowadays in both radical Islamist and far-right propaganda. Lone independent operators have become increasingly important sources of propaganda in recent years.

Worldviews are often individually constructed by combining ideas from various ideologies.