Fears of a rise in online extremism in kids as Andrew Tate influence takes hold

There is a “huge gap in parents’ knowledge” of what is harmful to their children as online radicalisation is on the rise, an organisation has warned.

Groundswell, which focuses on making the public aware of the dangers of radicalisation, has organised a six-week course in Brixton to educate parents on the increase of extremism online and in schools.

The latest Home Office data shows 411 London teenagers were referred to the counter-terrorism Prevent Programme in 2019-20.

Official figures also show that 33 under-18s were arrested for terror offences in the year leading up to June 2022.

Maeve Park, a training manager at Groundswell, said she had seen a rise in extremism in South London around gender-based violence and an “upward tick” in young boys becoming influenced by the renowned self-proclaimed misogynistic media personality, Andrew Tate.

Ms Park said: “In South London we’re seeing anecdotal evidence of young boys being influenced by Andrew Tate.

“This means we have to look at risk factors around gender-based violence there.

“There is a huge gap in parents’ knowledge of what is harmful to their children online. We’re trying to bridge that gap.”

Andrew Tate is currently in custody in Romania over allegations of sex trafficking. In YouTube videos he has described women as “intrinsically lazy” and said there was “no such thing as an independent female.”

Ms Park added that most online extremism had moved away from being focused on far-right white nationalism or Islamic and is now a mixed, unclear and unstable ideology.

She said: “It’s the online aspect that is universally applicable and the influence of major influencers like Tate that are affecting youth.

“There are also fears of how children, especially boys, are becoming radicalised through video games.

“Isolation and loneliness are the key vulnerabilities we’re seeing and the biggest reasons that young people are becoming radicalised online.

“We’re also seeing a lot of young guys who are lost and looking for real meaning and purpose in their lives.

“If mothers have a better understanding of the online world, they can have a better chance of really helping their kids navigate difficult issues and prevent them from falling for lies and extremist messages.

“It’s about learning to connect empathetically and with the right knowledge.”

The Mother’s for Change course will be taking place from February 6-13. For details on the event contact info@groundswell.world

(Picture: PA)