Latest posts tagged with #ExtremismStudies on Bluesky
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This upcoming seminar explores the role of Christian nationalism & religious rhetoric in contemporary far-right politics, both online & offline.
#radicalisationstudies #extremismstudies #onlineradicalisation #onlineextremism #radicalright #Christiannationalism #CIRAF
The second event in the CIRAF Research Group’s 2026 seminar series is coming up!
The event is online & free to attend but registration is required: tinyurl.com/37u8bpy4
#radicalisationstudies #extremismstudies #onlineradicalisation #onlineextremism #radicalright #Christiannationalism #CIRAF
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The case therefore illustrates how radicalisation today often operates transnationally & digitally, rather than through traditional offline organisations.
#extremismstudies #terrorismstudies
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Groups such as The Base promote accelerationist ideologies — encouraging societal collapse in pursuit of a white supremacist state — & have been linked to young recruits across several countries.
#extremismstudies #terrorismstudies
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Investigators & researchers suggest this reflects a broader pattern: youth are being drawn into ideological networks through accessible online content, peer interaction & gradual normalisation rather than a single decisive moment.
#extremismstudies #terrorismstudies
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What stands out in the reporting is not only the severity of the offences, but the pathway. The teenager described creating an online persona and increasingly immersing himself in extremist communities over time.
#extremismstudies #terrorismstudies
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While a jury did not reach a verdict on whether he was preparing acts of terrorism, police found weapons in his home & evidence linking him to extremist networks operating across multiple platforms, including Telegram, TikTok & Snapchat.
#extremismstudies #terrorismstudies
A 16-year-old from Northumberland has been convicted of membership of the banned neo-Nazi organisation The Base, along with possessing & sharing terrorist publications.
🔗 tinyurl.com/2s5e8r5c
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#extremismstudies #terrorismstudies
🧵 6/6
Perhaps the most useful takeaway: group dynamics matter as much as content. People are rarely radicalised by a single post. They are radicalised by relationships, belonging & reinforcement over time.
#onlineextremism #extremismstudies #radicalisationstudies #onlineradicalisation
🧵 5/6
The webinar also discussed behavioural warning signs online, including identification with violence, preparation behaviours & self-positioning as a potential perpetrator.
#onlineextremism #extremismstudies #radicalisationstudies #onlineradicalisation
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These processes intertwine ideology with socio-emotional validation. Members are not only convinced: they are supported, recognised & given meaning.
#onlineextremism #extremismstudies #radicalisationstudies #onlineradicalisation
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Researchers identified three stabilising mechanisms within groups:
• collective sense-making.
• emotionalisation.
• stabilising narratives.
#onlineextremism #extremismstudies #radicalisationstudies #onlineradicalisation
🧵 2/6
Radicalisation, in this model, is not a single moment of persuasion but a longitudinal social process.
#onlineextremism #extremismstudies #radicalisationstudies #onlineradicalisation
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Rather than a static “billboard for hate”, researchers described Telegram as a social ecosystem. Its technical affordances allow communities to form, stabilise, & evolve over time.
#onlineextremism #extremismstudies #radicalisationstudies #onlineradicalisation
The forth and final event was a @gnetresearch.bsky.social webinar, focusing on far-right radicalisation on Telegram.
One point stood out immediately: the platform is often misunderstood.
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#onlineextremism #extremismstudies #radicalisationstudies #onlineradicalisation
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Much public discussion frames AI as a sudden new threat. But the conversation at GIFCT emphasised continuity. The underlying mechanisms — grievance, belonging, identity formation, and social validation — remain human. Technology simply increases speed and reach.
#extremismstudies
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Artificial intelligence is not creating extremism. It is amplifying existing behaviours — accelerating content production, scaling communication, and lowering barriers to participation.
This distinction matters.
#extremismstudies
The third event was a Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism (GIFCT) outreach event, exploring the evolving role of AI in online extremism.
A key takeaway from Louis Babington-Reynolds from Meta was clear: AI is a multiplier, not a driver.
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#extremismstudies
🧵 3/3
Jessa Mellea described how some nihilistic communities lack clear in-group/out-group boundaries. There is no manifesto, no end goal, and sometimes no shared ideology — only shared participation.
#onlineradicalisation #onlineextremism #extremismstudies #extremismprevention
🧵 2/3
Priyank Mathur presented a new online toolkit designed as a “living resource” to support practitioners responding to harmful online mobilisation: www.campaigntoolkit.org
#onlineradicalisation #onlineextremism #extremismstudies #extremismprevention
The second event focused on exploring youth radicalisation and mobilisation research outputs.
Several speakers highlighted a shift: not all harmful online communities are ideological in the traditional sense.
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#onlineradicalisation #onlineextremism #extremismstudies #extremismprevention
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In the discussion, Miqdaad Versi, Shaista Aziz, Aamna Mohdin and Nosheen Iqbal reflect on the rise of the far right and increasing Islamophobia in the UK.
#farright #race #racism #extremismstudies #counterterrorism
I’m a little late to this episode, but I listened to Today in Focus this morning & found it moving & thought-provoking.
Listen here: tinyurl.com/4jetxpsf
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#farright #race #racism #extremismstudies #counterterrorism
🧵 7/7
The article also highlights structural problems: gaps between safeguarding & counter-terrorism systems, & online safety regulation that focuses on content removal rather than the communications through which grooming & recruitment occur.
#extremismstudies #youthradicalisation
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The removal of terrorism offences from the scope of the Modern Slavery Act’s statutory defence is presented as particularly alarming, risking the criminalisation of children who may themselves be victims.
#counterterrorism #extremismstudies #youthradicalisation
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The dynamics are familiar—identifying vulnerability, building trust, isolating children from protective networks, & exerting coercive control through digital communication.
#counterterrorism #extremismstudies #youthradicalisation
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The article uses this case to argue that our tendency to treat terrorism & child exploitation as separate harms is no longer tenable.
#counterterrorism #extremismstudies #youthradicalisation
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It centres on a troubling UK case from 2021, in which terrorism charges against a 14-year-old girl were dropped not because she lacked contact with extremist networks, but because the state recognised her online relationships as a form of exploitation.
#extremismstudies #youthradicalisation
This article from @ginavale.bsky.social is a stark reminder of how poorly our current frameworks cope with the realities of children’s lives online.
🔗 tinyurl.com/5abeufcj
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#counterterrorism #extremismstudies #youthradicalisation
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This talk reflects on the decade since 2016 & asks some big, necessary questions: how did we get here, how should we understand the present, and what might the next decade hold?
#extremismstudies #counterterrorism #farright #Brexit
