OTTAWA – Security agencies from Canada and other members of the Five Eyes intelligence-sharing alliance are calling for a “whole-of-society response” to deal with the radicalization of young people lured into violent extremism.
A new report from the alliance, which also includes Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States, emphasizes the importance of looking for signs of radicalization.
It warns that minors, heavily influenced by online interactions, can pose the same credible terrorist threat as adults.
The report says while the numbers involved in extremism fluctuate, the countries have seen a “rising prominence” of young people and minors in counterterrorism cases over the last few years.
In Canada, between April 1, 2023, and March 31, police arrested six people under age 18 for terrorism-related offences.
The agencies stress the importance of parents and guardians understanding their children’s online activities, so they can steer them away from content online that may lead to radicalization before it’s too late.
“A renewed whole-of-society approach is required to address the issue of minors radicalizing to violent extremism,” the report says.
“This is not something governments or communities can address in isolation. Mental health, community initiatives, social services, and education interventions can help to counter radicalization before security and policing responses are required.”
Canadian agencies say key indicators of possible radicalization include young people being more vocal or aggressive about ideological opinions, spending more unsupervised time on the internet, and becoming isolated from friends and family.
They also urge people in their lives to watch for increased levels of anger and aggression, a sudden disrespectful attitude to others, unusually secretive behaviour, and possession of multiple cellphones or laptops.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 5, 2024.
