'Most children arrested for terrorism offence in UK are far right extremists'

THREE quarters of children arrested on suspicion of terror offences in Britain are far-right extremists, a UK police body has said, urging parents to be aware of online radicalisation.

While 21 children were arrested for terrorism offences in the last financial year, 15 of them were linked to extreme right wing terrorism, Counter Terrorism Policing (CTP) revealed on Tuesday (6), also mentioning that this “worrying growth” has been occurring since 2015. Young people under the age of 24 accounted for less than 20 per cent of extreme right wing terrorism arrests in 2015 while in 2020, they accounted for nearly 60 per cent. 

The remaining six teenagers are believed to include jihadists but a further breakdown was not available.

Data by the UK police body also show that children under the age of 18 made up for 13 per cent of all terrorism arrests happened in last financial year across the country, nearly trebling from just 5 per cent in the previous year. The police body warned that the growth is being driven by the older extremists who tend to target children online through multiplayer online gaming, YouTube and chat forums.

CTP’s national coordinator for prevent Nik Adams, said: “The trends we are seeing in our data are incredibly concerning. We must do more as a society to protect children from this threat and CTP wants to help parents, friends and families recognise when children are becoming the victims of radicalisation.”

“Not all children are vulnerable, but some are, and all parents should be aware of the dangers so they can help protect their child if necessary.

Through parenting website Netmums, CTP is offering information and resources,  including signs to look out for and tips on protecting children. The site will host a sponsored “drop-in clinic”, where parents can ask an officer questions and seek advice.