Australian authorities have issued warnings about a rapid rise in youth radicalisation driven by online networks and artificial intelligence (AI), raising concerns over an increasing wave of serious criminal behaviour among children as young as 11. The Australian Federal Police (AFP) described the situation as a potential “tsunami” of youth crime, marked by extreme acts including school shooting plots and assault driven by manipulation through social media platforms.
At a parliamentary inquiry into radicalisation, AFP acting deputy commissioner Sandra Booth highlighted cases that illustrate the accelerating trend. One involved a 13-year-old boy who allegedly planned a mass shooting at his school, uncovered during a police raid after authorities identified his use of the Discord platform. “This was not in the US. This was in Australia,” Booth emphasized, underscoring the domestic nature of such threats.
In another distressing example, a teenager was charged with offences related to online child abuse material after purportedly engaging with a sadistic online network. The boy is accused of forcing an infant to vape and marking his online handle on the child, actions reportedly driven by coercion within these extremist circles.
Booth noted that AI tools have expedited and amplified the radicalisation process, making it easier for these networks to manipulate vulnerable young individuals. She added that while conventional technology companies have occasionally alerted security agencies to threats, no such notifications have been received from AI industry partners.
The inquiry heard that extremist networks such as The Com and 764 prey on youth by cultivating relationships under the guise of friendship before coercing victims into harmful acts. Victims are often blackmailed into live-streaming abuse, sometimes targeting siblings or even animals, in order to escape further exploitation. Vulnerable groups include youth with eating disorders, low self-esteem, and mental health challenges, though both boys and girls are targeted.
AFP Commissioner Krissy Barrett conveyed concerns that Australia is at a critical juncture. Without effective intervention, the combined pressures on mental health, education, judicial, and financial systems could become overwhelming. Booth stated that radicalisation previously took years but now can occur within days. Since 2020, 65 youths aged between 12 and 17 have been involved in counter-terrorism operations, with 35 charged.
Supporting these observations, Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) Deputy Director-General Claire McGuinness reported a marked shift in the age of individuals involved in extremist activity. Two decades ago, most suspects were in their early 20s, but recent cases include individuals as young as 11 undergoing deradicalisation programs. McGuinness explained that online exposure to political memes or religiously conservative content often serves as a gateway to radicalisation, with Sunni extremist plots accounting for 65 percent of ASIO’s counter-terrorism caseload. The remainder involve other ideological motivations.
The warnings from law enforcement and intelligence agencies highlight a growing challenge facing Australia as it grapples with protecting its youth from rapidly evolving online threats linked to extremism and violence.