Extremists use the internet and social media to spread their ideology, hate, fake news, and conspiracy theories. They actively target, exploit and groom children and young people.
Perpetrators know young people are using the internet much more, quite often by themselves, and so utilise these opportunities to exploit and recruit.
They frequently do this by exploiting our emotions, deeply held beliefs, and values and are increasingly using the social isolation, anxiety, and fear that many children are experiencing because of the pandemic.
A common approach that perpetrators use is to spread misinformation/disinformation (fake news) linked to a grievance or situation which in turn generates an emotive response, such as anger.
Teaching our children to question and analyse the information presented to them is one of the most important things we can do to protect them from the harmful influence posed by extremists or extremist material.