Australia counter-terrorism chief warns of rising youth radicalisation

Australia’s counter-terrorism co-ordinator, Brendan Dowling, has warned of rising youth radicalisation driven by online extremism and nihilistic violent extremism. Appearing before the Royal Commission into Anti-Semitism and Social Cohesion, Dowling noted that extremists are increasingly targeting younger cohorts, with some engaging with material as young as 10 years old.

Dowling highlighted that while social media remains a primary vector for extremist content, online gaming platforms have become a high-priority frontier. He noted the risk of violent extremist material within user-generated content and indicated that the Department of Home Affairs is looking to expand pilot programs—such as Diversions Australia—into gaming environments. Discussions are reportedly underway with the platform Roblox to reach this audience.

Experts at the commission described a shift toward “nihilistic violent extremism,” where individuals pursue violence for its own sake rather than to advance a specific ideology. Steve Barracosa of Youth Justice NSW noted that extremist themes are becoming increasingly fluid and incoherent, often mixing antisemitic, right-wing, and religious narratives in objectionable online spaces.