Witnessing the Pathways of Misinformation, Hate, and Radicalization: A Pedagogic Response
April 28, 2025
Misinformation, as a tool that accelerates pathways of radicalization, requires an urgent response from both scholars and practitioners in education. In this chapter, we first examine a model of radicalization—the Educational Displacement and Replacement Model—to spotlight the distinct role that misinformation plays in enabling educationally displaced youth to embrace narratives of hate. By offering contemporary ...
Video Gaming and (Violent) Extremism: An exploration of the current landscape, trends, and threats
April 28, 2025
This paper provides an overview of the intersection between (violent) extremism and video gaming, examining the current landscape, trends, and threats. Analysing existing literature and open-source materials, this paper discusses the types of games, platforms, and services that are vulnerable to this type of infiltration and use; particularly focussing on content, platform features, and overlaps. ...
The Gamification of (Violent) Extremism: An exploration of emerging trends, future threat scenarios, and potential P/CVE solutions
April 28, 2025
Through existing literature and open-source materials – including academic articles, research reports, policy documents, newspaper articles, investigative journalism, government inquiries and previous relevant Radicalisation Awareness Network (RAN) Policy Support (PS) deliverables, etc. – this paper will investigate the following key questions: what is gamification of (violent) extremism, what are the current and future threats it ...
“Press F to Pay Respects”: An Empirical Exploration of the Mechanics of Gamification in Relation to the Christchurch Attack
April 28, 2025
There has been a long-standing yet largely unreported intersection between video-gaming and violent extremism, spanning across jihadist, far-right, and other types of ideologies. Within this framework, until late, scant attention has been paid to the concept of “gamification”; i.e. the application of gaming and game-design principles within non-gaming environments. This paper contributes to this newly ...
When Digital and Physical World Combine: The Metaverse and Gamification of Violent Extremism
April 28, 2025
From early Bulletin Board Systems adopted by neo-Nazis to the Islamic State’s more recent prolific use of social media platforms, an aspect of terrorism studies that is generally agreed upon is that violent extremists are often early adopters of emerging technologies. These groups, organisations, and networks have demonstrated innovative uses of these digital spaces, harnessed ...
The “Webification” of Jihadism: Trends in the Use of Online Platforms, Before and After Attacks by Violent Extremists in Nigeria
April 28, 2025
The key findings of this report are as follows: Boko Haram, ISWAP and Ansaru previously leveraged popular social media platforms, including YouTube, Facebook, Telegram and Instagram. These platforms were used to promote propaganda and create awareness regarding upcoming attacks. However, all three groups have now had their use of these platforms restricted or banned. ISWAP ...
Systematic Review of Radicalization through Social Media
April 25, 2025
The purpose of this study is to synthesize the literature relating to radicalization on social media, a space with enhanced concerns about nurturing propaganda and conspiracies for violent extremism. Through the systematic review of 82 peer-reviewed studies related to radicalization through social media published in scholarly journals, this paper evidence the growth of robust studies ...
Online platforms as an environment for multidimensional radicalization? The extremist symbolism and rhetoric of the Daesh terrorist organization
April 25, 2025
This article is an empirical study of the visual mobilization strategies implemented by terrorist organizations seeking recruits or fighters. Drawing on the interdisciplinary theoretical approach of social movement studies and international relations and security studies, the author focuses on the propaganda narratives used by the Daesh organization from its inception to the COVID-19 pandemic. Between ...
The Taliban Takeover: The Impact on Extremist Organisations and on EU Audiences At Risk of Radicalisation
April 25, 2025
This report reviews propaganda and social media activities of jihadists and right-wing extremist (RWE) groups and assesses the impact of the fall of Kabul on their narratives. ...
TamTam: The Online Drums of Hate
April 25, 2025
Recognizing the correlation between the growing spread of violent extremist and terrorist content on the internet and online platforms and the significant increase in attacks inspired by these posts prompted governments, security agencies, and private companies to launch various countermeasures to reduce the spread and impact of such material. Struggling to adjust to these countermeasures ...