Extremists are targeting young Australians who crave belonging. What can we do?

Vulnerable young Australians are being targeted and recruited into extremist organisations. Sometimes, adult recruiters use grooming and coercion. Young people are seen as easy targets because they are looking for a place to belong, rather than holding deep-seated ideological beliefs.

Last week, Australia’s Independent National Security Legislation Monitor launched a review of Australia’s legal definition of a terrorist act. The high number of young Australians becoming involved in violent extremism and terrorism was a key factor.

Last year, director general of ASIO, Mike Burgess, said the median age when minors are first subject to ASIO investigation is now 15. Case examples he cited included alleged sharing of beheading videos in the schoolyard, a 12-year-old allegedly wanting to blow up a place of worship and another 12-year-old allegedly planning a school shooting.

We worked with the Engagement and Support Program (Department of Communities and Justice, New South Wales) to look at this exact problem. We interviewed six case managers and learned in depth about 17 of their clients, whose beliefs ranged from violent Salafi Jihadism to the violent extreme right. The median age these clients were referred to services was 19.

We wanted to know three things. Why are young Australians radicalising? Who, or what, is driving this problem? And how can we help?

Unhelpful stereotypes

We found the stereotype of youth radicalisation is unhelpful, with the mirage of a “good kid gone bad” radicalising alone in their bedroom in a quiet suburban home. Instead, a complex interplay of needs, narratives and networks are combining to create the perfect storm. Much radicalisation came through personal relationships, not internet forums.

There were clear unmet needs in the lives of radicalised young people. Many of them had unstable lives, experiencing things such as family discord, abuse and violence. They also suffered neglect and social isolation. Their lives were marked, too, by significant and distressing events, including personal, physical and/or family health issues. Their daily lives lacked stability, meaningful relationships, and a feeling of belonging and community.

This set the scene for engagement with extremist ideologies. We noted strong online engagement, with young people reposting, downloading or even creating extremist content for thousands of followers, from extreme right to religious. Sometimes, however, it appeared the young people did not have clear understandings of the belief system they supported.

Their engagement was driven by the need for community, belonging and positive engagement, rather than an unshakeable loathing for the Australian liberal democratic order.

Our young people are being drawn into extreme ideologies which promote, or seek to do, serious violence, from the mass killing of their fellow citizens to attacking critical infrastructure. It is our responsibility as a society to prevent young people from falling under the spell of false friends, including online groomers and extremist recruiters.

Barbecues and bookshops: youth recruitment

Who is recruiting young people? All too often, the stereotype of young people self-radicalising online without any interference by other people is promoted. But that’s not what we found.

Our findings are alarming. Some young people were directly recruited out of the school yard by domestic violent-extremist organisations or individuals. Some had been exposed to extreme ideas in public – at barbecues and bookshops. As one of our participants observed about their clients, they are “vulnerable and easily influenced”.

Around half of the young people we examined had become engaged with violent extremism through a direct relationship such as a family member or peer.

The internet, of course, had a part to play. Around 10% of young people involved with ideologically motivated violent extremism had been exposed via online forums. Most concerningly, it appeared some young people had been subject to grooming and coercion by individuals unknown and online.

We wanted to know why they had been targeted.

Understanding youth vulnerability

Young people are, of course, vulnerable to predatory ideologies and people. But we wanted to know more about why they’re specifically vulnerable to extremism. We found multiple vulnerabilities that heightened young people’s susceptibility to recruitment.

Experiences of violence often underlay the engagement of young people. Violence was normalised for many, who had been victims of violence – often in the family home – before they became (or sought to become) perpetrators.

Others struggled with undiagnosed mental or physical health problems. Many had experienced traumatic adverse childhood events (such as the death of a family member or removal from the family home), neglect and/or family discord and violence. Over half had been bullied.

Notably, each of these life challenges were not experienced in isolation. Many young people who had been radicalised presented with multiple challenges, contributing to this “perfect storm”.

These young people lacked a safe, regulated environment within which they could develop and choose their own path. We were struck by their powerlessness, their lack of agency, and their vulnerability to extremist recruiters, armed with false promises and predatory communities of belonging.

How can we help?

Youth radicalisation and terrorism recruitment has long been a security concern. It was highlighted by ASIO in 2021, a Victorian government inquiry into extremism in 2022 and a Federal Senate inquiry last year.

ASIO’s Mike Burgess rightly noted “you cannot spy your way to less youth radicalisation”, and advocates a “whole of society” approach to the problem.

We can all work on this together. We cannot simply expect young people to be resilient to extremist recruiters: we need to be willing to step in and support their exit from extremism. Small acts of kindness and non-judgemental support can go a long way. As a community, we can rally around our young people rather than push them into harm.

If you are concerned about a young person, you don’t need to carry the burden alone. Specialist teams are on hand with supportive, trauma-informed practice, who might be able to help. There are helplines you can contact, such as Steptogether, a federally funded, NSW government-managed initiative, being rolled out Australia-wide. (Steptogether also has a chat function.) These contrast with traditional law enforcement-led approaches.

Young people are becoming more engaged with violent extremism. Our duty, as their guardians and community, is to help them find a way out.