Blog
Extremists are targeting young Australians who crave belonging. What can we do?
September 24, 2025
Kristy Campion, Charles Sturt University and Emma Colvin, Charles Sturt University 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 ...
Blog
The Eco-System of Extremist Violence As A New Lens
July 9, 2025
By Sören Henrich This blog is based on a recent publication which you can find here. Last October, MI5 Director General Ken McCallum expressed concern about a growing trend among radicalised individuals that was challenging preventive and policing bodies. A considerable number of reviewed cases presented mixed ideologies or lacked a clear ideological conviction. Furthermore, services ...
Blog
Researching the Dark Playground: Young People’s Exposure to Extremist Content Online
July 2, 2025
By Tim Legrand, Nathan Manning, and Melissa-Ellen Dowling Young people worldwide are increasingly exposed to violent ideas and ideologies in web-based communities. According to national security agencies, children as young as 12 are adopting extremist beliefs, folding issues of child safeguarding into national security concerns. While we know that exposure to extremist ideologies in online ...
Blog
What Do Incels.is Users Post Before Going Silent?
May 21, 2025
By Bo Min Keum and Richard Frank Background Research suggests that participating in online forums give Incels a sense of belonging and validation for their shared grievances and struggles. Therefore, posing the question; why would they stop posting, and what do they say before they do? Given the emerging research on Incel posting trajectories, and ...
Blog
Reclaiming Our Narratives: A Needs-Based Approach to Countering Extremist Disinformation Online
April 30, 2025
By Anna Kruglova and Bruce White The digital landscape demands evolving strategies against violent extremism and terrorism online. Traditional counter-measures by professional institutions often struggle to keep pace with the sophisticated propaganda and disinformation disseminated by extremist groups and hostile actors. Their ability to adapt quickly necessitates democratizing counter-efforts, empowering communities to safeguard online spaces. ...
Blog
Adolescence is a technical masterpiece that exposes the darkest corners of incel culture and male rage
April 16, 2025
Kate Cantrell, University of Southern Queensland and Susan Hopkins, University of the Sunshine Coast Filmed in a one-take style, Jack Thorne and Stephen Graham’s new crime drama Adolescence is being hailed by critics as a technical masterpiece. Out now on Netflix, the four-part series follows the fallout surrounding 13-year-old Jamie Miller (Owen Cooper) after he ...
Blog
Subscribe to Subversion: The (German) Telegram-YouTube Pipeline
November 27, 2024
By Harald Sick and Maik Fielitz Tweets, blog posts, stories, reels, snaps, TikToks, short messages and live streams: there is a multitude of (self-)presentation types and, in principle, no restriction on which digital media formats extremist actors use. In times when the (counter) public is fragmented across many platforms, those who want to reach the ...
Blog
Social media influencers, the far right and their potential impact on youth (radicalisation)
November 13, 2024
By Sophia Rothut, Darian Harff & Cornelius Puschmann In today’s digitalised world, social media platforms have evolved into powerful channels for disseminating political information and shaping political opinion. While these platforms can enhance democratic processes by, for instance, increasing opportunities to participate in political discussions or acquire political knowledge, they also pose challenges, particularly with ...
Blog
Three steps to talking to a loved one at risk of being radicalised into rioting
September 25, 2024
Anthony English, The Open University For some, the shocking scenes of violence which have erupted across dozens of locations in England and Northern Ireland will evoke an all-too-real concern – could someone close to me get involved in the violence? Alongside those directly affected by the act of rioting itself, there are another set of ...
Blog
Middle-aged radicalisation: why are so many of Britain’s rioters in their 40s and 50s?
September 18, 2024
Sara H Wilford, De Montfort University Look closely at the pictures of the violent unrest that has spread across England and Northern Ireland and you will notice something that is not being spoken about. The rioters seen fighting, attacking police and setting fire to buildings are often middle aged – people in their 40s, 50s ...