Rising Concerns Over Teenagers’ Involvement in UK Far-Right Terrorism

[Social Media]

 

Teenagers as young as 13 are increasingly coming under suspicion for engaging in far-right terrorism, driven by exposure to toxic online extremism. Experts warn that the easily accessible nature of extremist content is creating a dangerous environment for children. Described as a “horrible hateful soup” by insiders, social media platforms allow young users to pick and choose from various terrorist narratives, including content from the Terrorgram network, a group of white supremacist channels recently banned in the UK. 

 

Ken McCallum, the head of MI5, recently revealed that 13% of those being investigated for terrorism in the UK are under 18, a figure that has tripled in the last three years. This rise poses challenges for law enforcement and intelligence agencies, raising ethical questions about whether teenagers should face criminal prosecution, especially when issues of mental health and grooming are involved. Hannah Rose, an analyst with the Institute of Strategic Dialogue, noted that extremist ecosystems online have surged over the past few years, remaining easily accessible to children. Rose explained that children’s offline vulnerabilities can make them more susceptible to adopting extremist views.

 

In April, the UK took action by proscribing Terrorgram, a neo-fascist group that coordinated three Telegram channels with over 70,000 subscribers. The Institute of Strategic Dialogue found that these channels presented themselves as news feeds and drew subscribers into group chats where violent content was rampant. Investigators are concerned that children, who may not fully grasp the ideology behind the content, are still highly susceptible to violent influence.

 

Some of this radicalization is believed to have its roots in the COVID-19 pandemic, which forced families and young people to spend more time online. As a result, there has been a blurring of extremist ideas, with some individuals being driven to acts of violence without a clear ideological motive. Rose pointed out that extreme misogyny and school shooter fandoms have also become mainstream in certain online spaces. Some of these communities present violence in an aestheticized manner, using music and graphics, which can make it appear like a computer game and lure in those without strong ideological leanings.

 

Though Terrorgram's content is mainly spread through loose associations of shared material, its influence persists. Two of its alleged American leaders were recently charged with 15 counts of hate crimes and conspiracy to support terrorism, but authorities expect that the network will continue to evolve.

 

The increase in child terror cases, especially within far-right networks, has raised concerns. However, a resurgence in Islamist activity has also been noted. A 15-year-old from Nottingham was recently sentenced to community service for sharing violent Islamic State videos and pledging allegiance to the group online. MI5 has also dealt with cases like a 13-year-old from Cornwall who led the UK branch of the banned neo-Nazi Feuerkrieg Division, a group that was founded by another 13-year-old from Estonia in 2018. 

 

Adam Hadley, the executive director of Tech Against Terrorism, noted that job cuts at social media companies, particularly in trust and safety roles, have worsened the problem. Extremist content has become harder to monitor, particularly on platforms like X (formerly Twitter) and Telegram. Telegram’s boss, Pavel Durov, has pledged to improve content moderation following his arrest in France, which was tied to the platform’s use for sharing child sexual abuse materials and drug trafficking.

 

The rise in child terrorism cases has also sparked debate over whether prosecutions are the best approach to dealing with radicalized children. One high-profile case involved Rhianan Rudd, a teenager groomed by a far-right extremist, who later took her own life. Though she was charged with terrorism-related offences, the prosecution was later dropped, and her family argued that she should have been treated as a victim of grooming rather than a terrorist. McCallum acknowledged the complexity of such cases, suggesting that while some individuals may require criminal justice outcomes, others would benefit more from alternative interventions focused on vulnerability.

 

Based on a report from The Guardian 2024-10-15

 

 

 

[thesetat2013]

A shame parents do not control a childs use of internet time and content nowadays. Complete lack of responsibility on their part. Kids are so impressionable to what they see and hear as teenagers so it is important for a parent to make sure they are not being exposed to things are bad especially when online. 

[jippytum]

The older generation of 'doo gooders' have allowed the country to be overun by illegal immigrants. 

Only yesterday an additional budget of 500 million was allocated to their welfare. 

At the same time Muslims are obtaining  a foothold in local communities and politics. 

As the older generation are making such a mess of things it's little wonder the younger generation are voicing some opposition by turning to the right of British  political opinion. 

[Chomper Higgot]

56 minutes ago, jippytum said:

The older generation of 'doo gooders' have allowed the country to be overun by illegal immigrants. 

Only yesterday an additional budget of 500 million was allocated to their welfare. 

At the same time Muslims are obtaining  a foothold in local communities and politics. 

As the older generation are making such a mess of things it's little wonder the younger generation are voicing some opposition by turning to the right of British  political opinion. 

Are you sure you posted in the right thread?

 

 

[JonnyF]

No surprise.

 

When governments sell out their own people this can create a lot of anger/resentment and unfortunately this provides opportunities for these types of extremist groups to recruit the vulnerable and disenfranchised. 

 

Imagine being poor, white, with no education, no prospects etc. and all you hear from the Woke left wing media is that you are racist, priviliged and should apologize for your whiteness and for things that happened hundreds of years ago. You are declined a place at college or a job due to "positive" discrimination (a euphemism for discriminating against white people).

 

Meanwhile your local area is being flooded with immigrants (many illegal and receiving benefits), there is no housing, you can't get an NHS appointment, and you are told to "shut up Bigot" and accept it in silence or be prosecuted for hate speech.

 

It's no wonder there is a lot of anger out there. I don't think Starmers policy of throwing a few people in jail for Facebook posts is going to silence people. Especially when they can see other demographics doing far worse and not even getting charged due to the police not wanting to upset their communities. 

 

Two Tier Keir's "justice" system is only going to enflame an already volatile situation. It provides the fuel for these type of radical groups.

[RuamRudy]

2 hours ago, jippytum said:

At the same time Muslims are obtaining  a foothold in local communities and politics

 

People exercising their democratic rights to represent or choose who represents them. Is that such a bad thing, or should it be restricted only to people of specific faiths? 

[Red Forever]

14 minutes ago, JonnyF said:

No surprise.

 

When governments sell out their own people this can create a lot of anger/resentment and unfortunately this provides opportunities for these types of extremist groups to recruit the vulnerable and disenfranchised. 

 

Imagine being poor, white, with no education, no prospects etc. and all you hear from the Woke left wing media is that you are racist, priviliged and should apologize for your whiteness and for things that happened hundreds of years ago. You are declined a place at college or a job due to "positive" discrimination (a euphemism for discriminating against white people).

 

Meanwhile your local area is being flooded with immigrants (many illegal and receiving benefits), there is no housing, you can't get an NHS appointment, and you are told to "shut up Bigot" and accept it in silence or be prosecuted for hate speech.

 

It's no wonder there is a lot of anger out there. I don't think Starmers policy of throwing a few people in jail for Facebook posts is going to silence people. Especially when they can see other demographics doing far worse and not even getting charged due to the police not wanting to upset their communities. 

 

Two Tier Keir's "justice" system is only going to enflame an already volatile situation. It provides the fuel for these type of radical groups.

Your entire post could be a recruitment drive aimed at low IQ right wing thugs convincing them that their lives are sh*te cos of brown people.

Posters such as you don't understand that you and your rhetoric are part of the problem.

On a brighter note, it was heartening to see 10s of thousands of residents reclaiming the streets from the far right Farridge's cowards who ran away.

 

[RuamRudy]

17 minutes ago, Red Forever said:

Posters such as you don't understand that you and your rhetoric are part of the problem.

 

I don't want to comment on JonnyF's understanding of how these youngsters are being manipulated, but there are plenty of people who are very aware of the potency of their words. The convicted fraudster and woman beater Stephen Yaxley Lennon, for example. 

[Chomper Higgot]

1 hour ago, JonnyF said:

No surprise.

 

When governments sell out their own people this can create a lot of anger/resentment and unfortunately this provides opportunities for these types of extremist groups to recruit the vulnerable and disenfranchised. 

 

Imagine being poor, white, with no education, no prospects etc. and all you hear from the Woke left wing media is that you are racist, priviliged and should apologize for your whiteness and for things that happened hundreds of years ago. You are declined a place at college or a job due to "positive" discrimination (a euphemism for discriminating against white people).

 

Meanwhile your local area is being flooded with immigrants (many illegal and receiving benefits), there is no housing, you can't get an NHS appointment, and you are told to "shut up Bigot" and accept it in silence or be prosecuted for hate speech.

 

It's no wonder there is a lot of anger out there. I don't think Starmers policy of throwing a few people in jail for Facebook posts is going to silence people. Especially when they can see other demographics doing far worse and not even getting charged due to the police not wanting to upset their communities. 

 

Two Tier Keir's "justice" system is only going to enflame an already volatile situation. It provides the fuel for these type of radical groups.

Oh the seething grievance of it all.

 

So let’s just examine your thesis in context of the OP.

 

These teenagers who have been radicalized are by definition under twenty years old, and can’t reasonably be considered to have any understanding of the wider world before they were perhaps ten years old.

 

So by your argument this disaffection with Government and your usual bogeyman ’the left’ must have occurred in the last nine or ten years, less than 4 months of which is under the current Government.

 

It seems the blame can be found in the period 2014 -2024. 
 

Once again you misrepresent the truth regarding people being imprisoned for posting content online that breaches the law. You have had misrepresentation of the truth on this matter explained to you many times, with links to actual court rulings, actual laws broken and the full text of those laws.

 

 

[Chomper Higgot]

54 minutes ago, Red Forever said:

Your entire post could be a recruitment drive aimed at low IQ right wing thugs convincing them that their lives are sh*te cos of brown people.

Posters such as you don't understand that you and your rhetoric are part of the problem.

On a brighter note, it was heartening to see 10s of thousands of residents reclaiming the streets from the far right Farridge's cowards who ran away.

 

Spot on.

 

[baansgr]

More woke rasist rubbish...what about all the others openly preaching jihad in the mosques and online hate..take a look at that naz Kaur from big brother for a start off..rasist beach she is and nothing is ever done against them...but poor ole, or young whitey gets banged away for 3 years

[HK MacPhooey]

3 hours ago, jippytum said:

The older generation of 'doo gooders' have allowed the country to be overun by illegal immigrants. 

Only yesterday an additional budget of 500 million was allocated to their welfare. 

At the same time Muslims are obtaining  a foothold in local communities and politics. 

As the older generation are making such a mess of things it's little wonder the younger generation are voicing some opposition by turning to the right of British  political opinion. 

DG MI5 Ken "Wingnut' McCallum's comments are also the Establishment's means of deflecting criticism from the failure to prevent the infiltration of thousands of potential Islamic/Islamist (they are one and the same thing) terrorists and other foreign criminals to the UK - the very first person to arrive on UK shores without documentation and a genuine reason (after thorough interrogation) to be claiming asylum should have been interned at a secure military installation on the grounds of being a security threat to the Nation. They should not have been allowed all the benefits that Gov UK provides to the detriment of it's own people and free rein of our towns and cities then perhaps the so called 'far right' would have no reason to flourish

[baansgr]

Every terrorist attack bar one in UK this century has been committed by jihad extremists, 75% of MI5s caseload is Islamist extremism when only 3% of the population is muslim...go figure..why report or even consider anyone else

[HK MacPhooey]

1 hour ago, RuamRudy said:

 

People exercising their democratic rights to represent or choose who represents them. Is that such a bad thing, or should it be restricted only to people of specific faiths? 

First and even 2nd or 3rd generation immigrants of any race or faith should not have been given British passports or been given the right to vote so readily in the UK as is the case in most every other country in the world, especially Thailand - it is not a democratic right to be able to vote in a country where one has little or no historical or cultural ties. The indigenous population (those that can trace their origins back a century or more at least) are quite capable of making the decision as to who represents them and their community.

 

MacPhooey has only limited voting rights after over twenty years permanent residency in HK and is quite happy with that and has no desire to attain political office or to vote for anyone who would wish to impose one's own culture and faith on the good people of HK.

 

Only lefty/liberal apologists and gullible fools would support the destruction of their own nation and culture as is happening in the UK at this time and cheered on by certain posters on this site     

[JonnyF]

1 hour ago, Chomper Higgot said:

Oh the seething grievance of it all.

 

Exactly the type of ignorant attitude that attempts to downplay/ignore the very real issues that lead to the rise of these types of extremist groups. Well done. 

 

1 hour ago, Chomper Higgot said:

 

So let’s just examine your thesis in context of the OP.

 

These teenagers who have been radicalized are by definition under twenty years old, and can’t reasonably be considered to have any understanding of the wider world before they were perhaps ten years old.

 

So by your argument this disaffection with Government and your usual bogeyman ’the left’ must have occurred in the last nine or ten years, less than 4 months of which is under the current Government.

 

It seems the blame can be found in the period 2014 -2024. 
 

 

You should have saved some time and just typed "blame it on the Tories".

 

Because nobody saw that coming. 😄

[HK MacPhooey]

2 hours ago, Red Forever said:

Your entire post could be a recruitment drive aimed at low IQ right wing thugs convincing them that their lives are sh*te cos of brown people.

Posters such as you don't understand that you and your rhetoric are part of the problem.

On a brighter note, it was heartening to see 10s of thousands of residents reclaiming the streets from the far right Farridge's cowards who ran away.

 

There is a leftist/Marxist idiot, 'Kevin from Basingstoke' who is allowed to call into a number of TalkTV chat shows almost daily and spout complete and utter drivel and left wing nonsense to the mirth and merriment of TalkTV's grown up listeners - Kevin is also too dumb to realise that 'Farridge' is the only hope of restoring The UK to any semblance of the nation we were bought up in but is now on the verge of total economic and cultural collapse through the actions of leftists and gullible fools like himself who have now gone so far as to impose on the nation a nasty Communist dictator who had been covering his true intentions in clear sight.  

[JonnyF]

2 hours ago, Red Forever said:

Your entire post could be a recruitment drive aimed at low IQ right wing thugs convincing them that their lives are sh*te cos of brown people.

Posters such as you don't understand that you and your rhetoric are part of the problem.

On a brighter note, it was heartening to see 10s of thousands of residents reclaiming the streets from the far right Farridge's cowards who ran away.

 

 

Au contraire.

 

It's liberal, low IQ, ill thought out policies on immigration from clueless #bekind fools that create the conditions for such groups to thrive. 

[RuamRudy]

26 minutes ago, HK MacPhooey said:

First and even 2nd or 3rd generation immigrants of any race or faith should not have been given British passports or been given the right to vote so readily in the UK as is the case in most every other country in the world, especially Thailand - it is not a democratic right to be able to vote in a country where one has little or no historical or cultural ties. The indigenous population (those that can trace their origins back a century or more at least) are quite capable of making the decision as to who represents them and their community.

 

 

 

My comment was aimed at the outrage that the other poster shared at the notion of Muslims voting, irrespective of their ties to the UK. He didn't mention anything about how many generations back they might be able to trace their Anglo Saxon roots. 

 

You choose to live in hong Kong, aware of the restrictions that you, as a foreign passport holder, are under. I certainly hope that the UK government doesn't look to places such as China with an eye to copying their human rights and democracy values. 

[Chomper Higgot]

1 hour ago, baansgr said:

More woke rasist rubbish...what about all the others openly preaching jihad in the mosques and online hate..take a look at that naz Kaur from big brother for a start off..rasist beach she is and nothing is ever done against them...but poor ole, or young whitey gets banged away for 3 years

You said it yourself… ‘whatabout’ !

[baansgr]

2 hours ago, Chomper Higgot said:

You said it yourself… ‘whatabout’ !

 

3 hours ago, baansgr said:

Every terrorist attack bar one in UK this century has been committed by jihad extremists, 75% of MI5s caseload is Islamist extremism when only 3% of the population is muslim...go figure..why report or even consider anyone else

 

[nauseus]

On 10/15/2024 at 9:15 AM, Red Forever said:

Your entire post could be a recruitment drive aimed at low IQ right wing thugs convincing them that their lives are sh*te cos of brown people.

Posters such as you don't understand that you and your rhetoric are part of the problem.

On a brighter note, it was heartening to see 10s of thousands of residents reclaiming the streets from the far right Farridge's cowards who ran away.

 

 

Where was this then?

[nauseus]

On 10/15/2024 at 10:54 AM, HK MacPhooey said:

DG MI5 Ken "Wingnut' McCallum's comments are also the Establishment's means of deflecting criticism from the failure to prevent the infiltration of thousands of potential Islamic/Islamist (they are one and the same thing) terrorists and other foreign criminals to the UK - the very first person to arrive on UK shores without documentation and a genuine reason (after thorough interrogation) to be claiming asylum should have been interned at a secure military installation on the grounds of being a security threat to the Nation. They should not have been allowed all the benefits that Gov UK provides to the detriment of it's own people and free rein of our towns and cities then perhaps the so called 'far right' would have no reason to flourish

 

Exactly right. This mythical far right "terrorist" group has been literally dreamt up to divert from the real terror threat in the UK.