Far right extremism is a growing problem online and is influencing young people’s perceptions of the wider world. To help parents protect their children our experts provide insight of where and how these groups are operating and steps to keep kids safe.
Far-right extremists are using the online culture, which is such a large part of young people lives, in an increasing effort to disseminate their propaganda materials. A large amount of this is done through open social media channels, targeting vulnerable young people. These social media platforms, are easily accessible and very much part of the mainstream, meaning an individual does not necessarily have to be searching for such material.
There is a conscious effort to make these open social media account appealing to young people, through the use of language that young people use, far-right groups are able to broadcast their ideals. The efforts that have been made to remove Islamist extremist groups from the mainstream is not applied with the rigour to far-right extremist propaganda. These efforts must be extended to far-right groups, given the real threat that exposures to such material poses to our young people.
There are a number misconceptions that exist on mainstream platforms regarding risks of extremist influence. The greatest misconception that parents have, that poses a great danger, is that they believe that their children will not be subject to being preyed on and potentially radicalised on or offline. In addition, it is important to recognise that extreme views are not limited to an individual faith
Extreme Dialogue video: Video interview with Daniel Gallant sharing inner workings and ideological convictions of white-supremacist groups in Canada.
See more articles and resources to help children stay safe online.