Ms. Saman Ayesha Kidwai, Associate Fellow at the Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (MP-IDSA), delivered a presentation on “Global Youth Radicalisation” during the Monday Morning Meeting held on 25 May 2026. Dr Adil Rasheed, Research Fellow, MP-IDSA, moderated the Session, which was attended by scholars from the Institute.

Executive Summary

The Session examined the growing challenge of online radicalisation globally, particularly among children and adolescents, and the implications it has for contemporary counter-terrorism efforts. The discussion addressed the psychological, technological, and social dimensions of radicalisation as well as the impact of mental health vulnerabilities, role of belonging, identity, and lack of unconditional acceptance in the offline world in facilitating extremist recruitment of young people. The presentation further highlighted the role of social media platforms, online gaming communities, encrypted applications and algorithm driven content ecosystems in reducing the age threshold of recruitment along with accelerating the recruitment process.

Detailed Report

In his Opening Remarks, Dr. Adil Rasheed highlighted recent global developments relating to political violence, extremism, and radicalisation. Referring to recent incidents in the United States and Europe, he noted the growing debate regarding the causes of radicalisation, particularly among young individuals. Dr. Rasheed highlighted the two schools of thought within the counter-radicalisation literature, with some scholars emphasising ideological indoctrination while others focusing on psychological vulnerabilities, identity crises, social alienation, and cognitive dissonance as primary drivers. According to him, this debate on the relationship between mental health, nihilism, and violent extremism, raises important questions about whether ideology serves as the primary motivator or merely as a vehicle through which pre-existing psychological vulnerabilities are exploited.

Ms. Saman Ayesha Kidwai presented a detailed analysis of the radicalisation of children and teenagers, which she highlighted has become a frontline security issue. She stated that technological developments have enabled extremist actors to bypass traditional gatekeepers such as families, schools, and communities, creating what she described as an acceleration gap between the pace of radicalisation and the ability of states to respond effectively.

Exploring a biological perspective on radicalisation, Ms. Kidwai noted that adolescents are particularly vulnerable because of developmental and neurological factors. The prefrontal cortex, responsible for impulse control and decision-making, remains underdeveloped during adolescence, making younger individuals more susceptible to emotionally charged and sensational content. These vulnerabilities are often compounded by experiences of bullying, trauma, neglect, social exclusion, and identity-related uncertainty.

She stated that it is against this backdrop that extremist narratives succeed because they address three unmet psychological needs: belonging, significance, and certainty. Extremist communities offer vulnerable individuals a sense of acceptance and identity, portraying them as part of a larger struggle while providing simplistic explanations for complex social and political realities. These narratives, by meeting the three psychological needs, become particularly appealing to adolescents seeking recognition and purpose.

Furthermore, she highlighted alarming global trends regarding youth radicalisation. Citing recent studies, she noted that the process of radicalisation has become significantly faster than in it was in previous decades, with recruitment increasingly taking place entirely online. She emphasised that contemporary extremist networks exploit digital technologies to reach young audiences across geographical boundaries.

She then focused on Nihilistic Violent Extremism (NVE), an emerging form of extremism that differs from traditional ideological movements. She highlighted that rather than pursuing a clearly defined political or religious objective, NVE promotes violence, chaos, and societal collapse. This is evident in the fact that online communities associated with NVE often target psychologically vulnerable individuals, encouraging self-harm, coercion, harassment, and acts of violence.

Ms. Kidwai emphasised the pattern of extremist recruitment which typically begins on mainstream social media platforms before gradually shifting to more obscure online spaces. Extremist actors use recommendation algorithms, online forums, and gaming communities to identify and engage vulnerable youth. Online gaming platforms are increasingly becoming recruitment spaces because they provide opportunities to establish trust and social connections before introducing extremist content.

Focusing on the nexus between mental health and extremism, Ms. Kidwai cautioned against equating mental illness with terrorism, and explained that social isolation, loneliness, bullying, and psychological distress are vulnerability amplifiers, increasing a young individual’s susceptibility to extremist recruitment rather than being direct causes of violence.

On the role of artificial intelligence and emerging technologies, Ms. Kidwai explained that AI-enabled platforms can facilitate the dissemination of extremist content and enable radicalisation processes that remain largely invisible to traditional surveillance mechanisms. This represents a significant transformation in the contemporary threat environment.

Drawing lessons from international experiences, Ms. Kidwai highlighted Finland’s media literacy framework as an example of preventive intervention. She emphasised that Finland’s strategy of including digital literacy in the nationwide education curriculum, inculcating critical thinking and awareness of misinformation from an early age, has contributed to strengthening societal resilience against extremist narratives. Finland has consistently been ranked at the top of the European Media Literacy Index. While acknowledging differences in context, Ms. Kidwai suggested that certain elements of this approach could inform India’s future counter-radicalisation strategies.

Turning to India, Ms. Kidwai acknowledged that the country has developed substantial counter-terrorism capabilities and there have been successful de-radicalisation programmes reported in states such as Kerala and Maharashtra. Nevertheless, she proposed the creation of a legal framework addressing radicalisation through the establishment of a nationwide counter-violent extremism strategy involving multiple ministries. She further highlighted the need for greater integration of mental health support systems such as training school counsellors in early warning identification signs, enhancing digital literacy initiatives and strengthening international cooperation to address transnational online extremist networks.

Lastly, Ms. Kidwai emphasised that while current strategies focus more on de-radicalisation frameworks, however there is a need for greater focus on prevention, which remains significantly more effective than post-radicalisation interventions.  Finally, she underscored that for prevention programmes to be successful, families, schools, communities, and state institutions must collectively work together towards identifying early warning signs, promote media literacy, thereby strengthening societal resilience against extremist influences.

Q & A Session

Questions were raised regarding the challenges associated with the identification of radicalised individuals, effectiveness of de-radicalisation programmes, emerging threats within the Indian context, manosphere networks, platform accountability, and the responsibilities of technology companies in preventing extremist content dissemination.

The Speaker responded to all the comments and questions raised.

The Report was prepared by Mr. Himanshu Kulkarni, Intern, South Asia Centre, MP-IDSA.