Five Eyes security agencies take unprecedented step to fight youth terrorism threat

Intelligence agencies in Australia and its “Five Eyes” security partners have taken an unusual step, issuing stark warnings and calls to action to prevent young people from being radicalized. This “whole-of-society” initiative, aimed at mobilizing everyone from parents and teachers to health workers, comes against a backdrop of an increasing number of young people and minors being implicated in counter-terrorism cases across the five partner nations.

The report, titled “Youth and Violent Extremism: A Call to Collective Action,” marks the first time the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) and its counterparts in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, and New Zealand have collaborated on a public document. Utilizing case studies and some statistics from the five countries, the report argues that everyone has a responsibility to help prevent minors from being radicalized by extremist content, particularly online.

“We are increasingly concerned by the radicalisation of minors and the number of minors who are supporting, planning or undertaking terrorist activities. Radicalised minors can pose just as credible a terrorist threat as adults, and this is not an issue that law enforcement and security agencies can solve alone,” the report’s authors wrote in their release. ASIO Director-General Mike Burgess stated that the agencies' first public coordinated focus on youth radicalization demonstrates that the issue is “concerning, escalating and urgent.”

“Around 20 per cent of ASIO’s priority counter-terrorism caseload involves young people. In every terrorist attack, disruption and suspected terrorist incident in Australia this year, the alleged perpetrators were young people,” Burgess said in a statement. He added, “As a parent, these numbers are alarming. As an intelligence officer, these numbers are sobering.” The Australian Federal Police said it has worked with Joint Counter Terrorism Teams (JCTTs) to charge at least 20 minors with federal or state-level offenses since 2020, with one as young as 12 years old.

The report highlights two concerning case studies from Australia involving children aged just 16 and 14. The 16-year-old came to the attention of authorities after sharing documents, images, and videos, as well as advocating attacks on non-white people and urging others to prepare for an upcoming race war to “defend the white race,” ultimately being charged and jailed for advocating terrorism. The report stated he had been “discussing mass killings overseas, posting live-streamed shootings on Facebook, asking for help to make bombs, praising mass shooting perpetrators, and suggesting targeting ‘high profile enemies’.”

The other, a 14-year-old, held “nationalist and racist violent extremist ideology” and posted messages on Snapchat that they were “planning a school shooting at their high school and that they had access to firearms and explosives sufficient to kill a large number of students.” School authorities confirmed they were known for their racism, particularly towards Asian and Aboriginal people, and police subsequently raided their home and seized “a tactical vest, a ballistic helmet, and some drawings of an extremist nature.” This minor was also charged with advocating terrorism and other offenses, and was placed on a two-year good behavior bond.

Australian Federal Police Commissioner Reece Kershaw said that limiting the spread of violent and extremist material, and educating people such as parents and teachers to help with prevention, was a priority. “In the JCTT’s youth cases, we are seeing the same extremist propaganda videos appearing across multiple unrelated investigations, indicating connections on online platforms such as Discord, Telegram and TikTok,” he said in a statement. The report calls for a “new, whole-of-society approach” to combat the threat.

“This is not an issue that government or communities can solve alone. Mental health, community initiatives, social services, and educational interventions can help to prevent radicalisation before security and policing responses are needed,” the report emphasizes. It warns that minors are increasingly normalizing violence online, including “joking about committing terrorist attacks and making violent extremist content.” The report also notes that “individuals continue to be radicalised online and in the real world – for many it is a combination of both. Violent extremist content is more readily available, more accessible, and more impactful than ever before.”