AFP: online radicalisation of teenagers is 'one of our biggest challenges in history'

Police detail foiled school shooting plot and alleged online networks to parliamentary committee

By LineZotpaper

Published21 October 2026

Read Time2 min

The Australian Federal Police has warned that teenagers are being radicalised online in a matter of days, telling a parliamentary committee that social media networks are grooming, blackmailing and turning vulnerable young people into perpetrators of serious crimes.

Australian Federal Police Deputy Commissioner Sandra Booth told the Intelligence and Security Committee in Parliament House that the issue had become "one of our biggest challenges in history," saying Australia is "at a crossroads of youth crime" as vulnerable people are radicalised "at rapid speed."

Booth said the AFP had uncovered a notebook containing plans for a school shooting during a raid on the home of a 13-year-old boy who allegedly accessed violent material on the Discord platform. "This was not in the US, this was in Australia," she said. The boy remains before the courts.

In a separate case, the AFP allegedly connected a teenager to a "sadistic online network" and found the teenager's online handle written across the face of an infant who was then forced to vape.

Booth said such networks tap into nihilism, gore, sextortion, cyber disruption and violence, and operate by blackmailing teenagers to carry out abhorrent acts, including recording or streaming "animal crushing" and physically or sexually assaulting siblings. "They think if they do what they are being asked they will no longer be targeted," she said. "These online groups go hunting for victims ... many are young girls."

While Islamic extremism in the 2010s took "months or even years" to radicalise people, Booth said the process now takes a matter of days. She cited a "growing grievance generation," young people searching for purpose and belonging, and the sophistication of online networks. "AI is accelerating and lowering the skills to radicalise victims online," she said.

Booth warned that without serious intervention, Australia's mental health, education, finance and judicial systems could be overwhelmed, with consequences for "democracy, traditional institutions and the rules-based order." She said the AFP is nearing release of peer-reviewed research into the phenomenon and is creating task forces to identify and stop offences before they come to fruition.

Analysis

Why This Matters

The AFP says radicalisation of Australian teenagers is now happening in days, not the months or years seen with Islamic extremism in the 2010s.
Cases described include an alleged school-shooting plot by a 13-year-old and a network allegedly forcing an infant to vape, pointing to a shift in how young people are being exploited online.
Booth warned that without intervention, social systems and even democracy could come under strain from a generation of repeat victims and young offenders.

Background

The AFP's evidence came during parliamentary scrutiny of intelligence and security threats. Online radicalisation and grooming are long-standing concerns, but police say the scale and speed have changed: sophisticated networks increasingly target vulnerable children and teenagers through messaging and social platforms, using anonymity and blackmail to turn them into offenders. The cases outlined are allegations before the courts and have not been tested.

Key Perspectives

[The AFP]: Deputy Commissioner Sandra Booth argues Australia is "at a crossroads of youth crime," with vulnerable young people being groomed, blackmailed and pushed into offending "at rapid speed." She said the examples were "confronting, but we must have honest conversations."

[The courts]: The specific incidents described by the AFP remain allegations before the courts, and the legal process will determine what occurred and who is responsible.

[Parliament]: The Intelligence and Security Committee heard the briefing as part of its oversight role. The AFP said it was creating task forces and nearing release of peer-reviewed research, which could inform future policy and any legislative response to online harms.

What to Watch

Release of the AFP's peer-reviewed research into online radicalisation.
The creation and results of AFP task forces aimed at stopping offences before they occur.
Court outcomes for the 13-year-old and other alleged cases cited in the testimony.
Whether the committee's review leads to new calls for platform regulation or online safety measures.

Sources

AFP sounds alarm over radicalisation of Aussie teenagers as school shooting plot uncovered · 7NEWS

Checked

12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 11 supported.

Show each claim

SupportedThe AFP calls online radicalisation of teenagers “one of our biggest challenges in history.”7NEWS: “Booth said the issue has become “one of our biggest challenges in history”.”
SupportedPolice detailed a foiled school-shooting plot and alleged online networks to a parliamentary committee.7NEWS: “WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Politicians briefed on rising threats as school shooting plot foiled”
SupportedBooth said radicalisation that once took “months or even years” now takes a matter of days.7NEWS: “As Islamic extremism spread across the globe in the 2010s, people would take “months or even years” to become radicalised, according to Booth. In the highly connected world of today, that process takes a matter of days.”
SupportedThe AFP warned that teenagers are groomed and blackmailed online and turned into perpetrators of serious crimes.7NEWS: “They operate by blackmailing teenagers to commit abhorrent acts such as recording or streaming “animal crushing” and physically or sexually assaulting their siblings, according to Booth.”
SupportedBooth said Australia was “at a crossroads of youth crime” as vulnerable people were being radicalised “at rapid speed.”7NEWS: ““Australia is at a crossroads of youth crime as young vulnerable and impressionable individuals are being radicalised at rapid speed,” she said.”
SupportedDuring a raid on a 13-year-old boy’s home, officers allegedly found a notebook containing plans for a school shooting; the boy remains before the courts.7NEWS: “Officers allegedly uncovered a notebook containing plans to commit a school shooting during a raid on his home. He remains before the courts.”
SupportedBooth said, “This was not in the US, this was in Australia.”7NEWS: ““This was not in the US, this was in Australia,” Booth said.”
SupportedIn a separate case, a teenager allegedly connected to a “sadistic online network” had his online handle written on an infant’s face, and the infant was forced to vape.7NEWS: “The AFP also allegedly discovered another teenager allegedly connected with a “sadistic online network” and had his online handle written across the face of an infant, who was then forced to vape.”
SupportedBooth said online groups blackmail teenagers into recording or streaming “animal crushing” and physically or sexually assaulting siblings.7NEWS: “They operate by blackmailing teenagers to commit abhorrent acts such as recording or streaming “animal crushing” and physically or sexually assaulting their siblings, according to Booth.”
SupportedBooth said the radicalisation process now takes days, compared with months or years during the spread of Islamic extremism in the 2010s.7NEWS: “As Islamic extremism spread across the globe in the 2010s, people would take “months or even years” to become radicalised, according to Booth. In the highly connected world of today, that process takes a matter of days.”
SupportedBooth said AI is accelerating and lowering the skills needed to radicalise victims online.7NEWS: ““While technology and AI bring opportunities to society ... AI is accelerating and lowering the skills to radicalise victims online,” she said.”
Partly supportedBooth warned that without serious intervention, Australia’s mental health, education, finance and judicial systems could be overwhelmed.7NEWS: ““Without serious intervention, Australia faces mental health, education, finance and judicial systems being overwhelmed by a younger generation and vulnerable people burdened by repeated victimisation or because they are committing serious criminal offences.””