The hidden danger in a common children’s Christmas present

Parents are being warned to monitor their children’s online activity, ahead of many being gifted new technology items for Christmas.

The Australian Federal Police (AFP) raised concerns on Friday about “the increasing prevalence of young people accessing violent extremist material and propaganda online, leading to an increasing threat of youth radicalisation”.

It urged parents to monitor who their children are communicating with online, what online games they are playing and what they are viewing and accessing online.

In the last four years, 37 children aged 12-years-old to 17-years-old have been investigated by the AFP alongside its Joint Counter Terrorism Team (JCTT) partners.

Of those children, 57 per cent were charged with offences.

Investigators are witnessing the “same extremist propaganda videos in multiple unrelated investigations and shared across social media platforms such as Discord, Telegram and TikTok”, the AFP said.

“Other extremist content being shared online include hate speech and extremist propaganda, along with instruction manuals, misinformation, fake news and far right-wing extremism material.

“Investigators have identified that the violent extremist posts on social media, forums and end-to-end encryption messaging services being shared are mostly visual and depict violence or negative imagery.

“This is a common tactic criminal actors use to heighten an emotional response from their followers and often used to incite group action, violence or terrorism.“

Extremist groups targeting children

The AFP has concerns that the increased volume of material posted online, and being uploaded and accessed by young people, could have serious consequences for the community, AFP Counter Terrorism and Special Investigation Assistant Commissioner Stephen Nutt said.

“We are seeing more children accessing extremist material and this increases the risk of those children being radicalised and joining terrorist organisations, or engaging in acts of terrorism,’’ Nutt said.

“Combatting youth radicalisation requires a joined and coordinated approach that encompasses law enforcement, government departments (including education and health), private sector, industry, academia and the community.

“Family and friends play an incredibly important role in providing support to young people who may be vulnerable to online radicalisation.

“Police believe extremist groups are targeting vulnerable and young individuals online for radicalisation, as they are more susceptible to being influenced. We know that these extremists are preying on children in the same way that child sex offenders attempt to groom children.

“We urge parents and carers to encourage conversation with their children about online safety and to be aware of what their children are doing online including being aware of any signs of radicalisation to help support them.”

It is an offence to use the internet or mobile network to access, share, advertise, promote or solicit violent extremist material and possess or control violent extremist material.

These offences carry a maximum penalty of five years’ imprisonment.

It is also an odffence to possess materials connected with a terrorist act, or to collect or make documents likely to facilitate a terrorist act, and will incur a maximum penalty of 25 years’ imprisonment.

The AFP supports increased accountability by internet service providers and social media corporations to take action against the removal of violent extremist material online, but also urges those in protective roles, including parents, educators and health care providers, to mointor children for signs of radicalisation.

Signs that a child may be susceptible to radicalisation include:

• distancing themselves from their usual friends and family members
• an increase in the extremist nature of their rhetoric or propaganda they propagate
• your child using hateful or emotionally-charged language
• developing a fixation on conspiracy theories or contentious social issues
• displaying extreme reaction to certain news or politics
• spending increasing amounts of time in fringe forums on the internet