The Australian Federal Police has revealed that minors account for 40 per cent of all active joint counter-terrorism cases. The Global Terror Index says lone-actor attacks made up 93 per cent of all terror attacks in Western countries this year, while AFP Deputy Commissioner Sandra Booth said young people were being radicalised at rapid speed.
The AFP disclosed the figure on Thursday, with Deputy Commissioner Sandra Booth describing the issue in October as "one of our biggest challenges in history".
According to the Global Terror Index, so-called “lone actor” attacks made up 93 per cent of all terror attacks in Western countries this year. These incidents are increasingly hard for intelligence and security organisations to stop and are often carried out by a solitary radical using everyday objects in crowded areas.
Two teenagers in Darwin were arrested and charged with allegedly planning a mass-casualty event just days before the attack in Poland. They remain before the courts. Polish authorities said a 24-year-old man had become radicalised toward the far-right before driving into a busy central Krakow square and opening fire, killing six and wounding 15.
Edith Cowan University lecturer Nicola Lockhart told 7NEWS.com.au that minors are being radicalised on platforms that "initially seem completely innocuous and harmless such as TikTok, Instagram, Discord and, most frighteningly of all because I have a child who spends much of her time on it, Roblox". She said technology was accelerating the radicalisation process to just a few days.
"They often don't have large groups of friends, they feel alone in the world," Lockhart said. "So when they join these online communities, they feel part of something that they have been missing."
Lockhart cited a study she ran with students last year, where fresh social media accounts that searched for "gym program" were served far-right and anti-women content within four videos. She described the result as "really, really shocking".
She said families could spot warning signs including isolation from friends and family and the use of extremist keywords. As people became more radicalised, more apparent signs of danger included hero-worshipping past attackers and talking about weapons or “final acts”.
"In nearly 80 per cent of lone actor cases, they communicated in an overt way their extremist commitment," Lockhart said. "And it was quite plain for family members to see what was going on."
Analysis
Why This Matters
- The trend means parents and teachers are now the first line of defence against extremism among children, many of whom are being radicalised in weeks rather than months
- The AFP's figure that minors represent 40% of active counter-terror cases signals a fundamental shift in the threat profile inside Australia
- Online platforms designed for children, including gaming sites like Roblox, are being exploited as recruitment channels, raising urgent questions about platform safety and regulation
Background
Terrorism in Western countries has shifted from large-scale group plots to attacks by isolated individuals using everyday items such as vehicles or knives. The Global Terror Index, produced by the Institute for Economics and Peace, tracks this trend globally. In Australia, joint counter-terrorism teams (JCTT) bring together federal and state police with intelligence agencies to investigate and disrupt threats. The AFP's warning about youth radicalisation follows several high-profile cases of teenagers being charged with terrorism-related offences in recent years.
Key Perspectives
AFP Deputy Commissioner Sandra Booth: Described youth radicalisation as "one of our biggest challenges in history" and revealed minors account for 40% of all active joint counter-terrorism cases.
Edith Cowan University lecturer Nicola Lockhart: Says children are being radicalised on "innocuous" platforms like TikTok, Instagram, Discord and Roblox, with technology accelerating the process to just a few days. She notes that socially isolated teenagers are particularly vulnerable, as extremist groups offer them a sense of community.
What to Watch
- Whether the Australian government introduces new obligations for social media and gaming platforms to detect and report extremist content targeting minors
- The outcome of the two Darwin teenagers' court cases, which may set precedents for how young alleged extremists are handled by the justice system
- Updating of the Global Terror Index next year to see whether the proportion of lone-actor attacks continues to rise
Checked
11 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 10 supported.
Show each claim
- SupportedMinors account for 40 per cent of all active joint counter-terrorism cases.7NEWS: “Australian Federal Police (AFP) revealed on Thursday that minors accounted for 40 per cent of all active joint counterterrorism cases”
- SupportedLone-actor attacks made up 93 per cent of terror attacks in Western countries this year.7NEWS: “So-called “lone actor” attacks made up 93 per cent of all terror attacks in Western countries this year, according to the Global Terror Index”
- SupportedExperts say children and teenagers are being radicalised through social media and video games.7NEWS: “Experts believe the rise has come from children and teenagers being radicalised online through social media and video games, regardless of political affiliation.”
- SupportedDeputy Commissioner Sandra Booth said young 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.”
- SupportedIn October, Booth described youth radicalisation as “one of our biggest challenges in history”.7NEWS: “after AFP Deputy Commissioner Sandra Booth in October described the issue as “one of our biggest challenges in history””
- SupportedTwo teenagers in Darwin were arrested and charged with allegedly planning a mass-casualty event days before the attack in Poland, and remain before the courts.7NEWS: “Two teenagers in Darwin were arrested and charged with allegedly planning a mass-casualty event just days prior to the attack in Poland. They remain before the the courts.”
- SupportedPolish authorities said a 24-year-old man was radicalised toward the far-right before driving into a central Krakow square and opening fire.7NEWS: “Polish authorities said a 24-year-old man had become radicalised toward the far-right before driving into a busy central square in Krakow and opening fire.”
- Reports differThe Krakow attack killed six people and wounded 15.7NEWS: “Six people were killed and 15 others were wounded. / Four women and two men were killed in the attack in central Krakow, and 16 others were injured.”
- SupportedLockhart said minors are being radicalised on platforms that initially seem innocuous, naming TikTok, Instagram, Discord and Roblox.7NEWS: ““(Minors) are being radicalised on platforms that initially seem completely innocuous and harmless such as TikTok, Instagram, Discord and, most frighteningly of all because I have a child who spends much of her time on it, Roblox,””
- SupportedLockhart said her study with students found far-right and anti-women videos within four videos after searching “gym program” on fresh social media accounts.7NEWS: ““We did a study last year with my students, we started off with fresh social media accounts, hit absolutely nothing, and one of the search terms we put in was ‘gym program’,” she said. “And within four videos of just ‘gym program’, nothing else, the videos coming through were far-right and anti-women.””
- SupportedLockhart said that in nearly 80 per cent of lone-actor cases, people communicated their extremist commitment overtly.7NEWS: ““In nearly 80 per cent of lone actor cases, they communicated in an overt way their extremist commitment,” she said.”