Australia at 'crossroads' as police warn of 'tsunami' of radicalisation

Australia is bracing itself for a potential "tsunami" of radicalisation among its young people, as police warn that children and teenagers are being radicalised at an unprecedented rate. Senior officials have testified before a parliamentary inquiry that the process of radicalisation, which once took months or years, now occurs within days.

The Australian Federal Police (AFP) is considering expanding its powers to more actively disrupt harmful online chat groups, as they believe artificial intelligence, a burgeoning grievance generation, and the search for purpose and belonging among young people are contributing factors to this alarming trend.

The issue has reached alarming levels, with police targeting 65 children aged between 12 and 17 since 2020, with 35 of those investigations resulting in charges. Acting Australian Federal Police (AFP) Deputy Commissioner Sandra Booth stated that radicalisation of young people, which used to take months or years, is now happening within days.

She described a world in which children are targeted by sadistic predators, citing cases of a 13-year-old boy charged with planning a school shooting and an Australian teenager facing charges for child abuse material offences after allegedly joining a sadistic online network.

The AFP attributes the rapid escalation to the sophistication of online networks, the use of AI chatbots for attack planning, and encrypted apps that provide anonymity. Police are considering proposing an expansion of their powers to allow them to more actively disrupt harmful online chat groups by posting messages that alert users to the presence of police.

However, there are concerns that some young people who complete de-radicalisation programs may later return to extremist ideologies. The inquiry heard that young people entering such programs often do not fit traditional perceptions of violent extremists.