RCMP in New Brunswick are warning about a rise in youth radicalization, which they believe is fuelled by extremist online spaces.
Just this week, police said they arrested a youth late last year for the facilitation of a terrorist activity. That youth is now under a terrorism peace bond, which is a first for the province.
“A terrorism peace bond can be used when investigators fear that a terrorist offence may be carried out, enabling the use of robust monitoring and de-escalation tools,” RCMP said in a release.
“This case is part of a broader trend observed by the (Eastern Region’s National Security Enforcement Section) in New Brunswick involving youth radicalization driven by exposure to extremist online spaces and peer-to-peer networks.”
A spokesperson for the RCMP wouldn’t say which extremist network, if any, the youth was a part of.
“The youth is subject to very strict conditions as a result of entering into this peace bond. Police services across (New Brunswick) are aware of this peace bond and will, as they do every day, work diligently to keep our communities safe,” wrote Insp. Aaron Glode in an email.
David Hofmann, the director of the Criminology and Criminal Justice Program at the University of New Brunswick, said youth extremism is a problem seen nationwide.
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“This is the next big thing security-wise. The government and security agencies are focused on the fact that there are young people who, typically through the internet but also through face-to-face interaction are becoming more radical,” he said.
Hofmann said he believes the New Brunswick case could potentially be related to nihilist violent extremism groups, such as the 764 network, or possibly a far-right extremist group.
The 764 network is known to target children and youth by manipulating them into recording and sharing intimate images or taking part in acts of self-harm, violence and animal cruelty.
“Whether this is neo-Nazi far-right content, whether this nihilistic violent extremism, it’s the heinousness. It’s the awfulness of the act,” he said.
764 added to list of terrorist entities
Last December, Canada added 764 to its list of terrorist entities.
In total, four new groups were added under the Criminal Code, including three transnational online networks that promote ideologically motivated violent extremism (IMVE).
The move marked the first time any country had 764 as a terrorist organization, a statement from Public Safety Canada said.
In Nova Scotia, Halifax Regional Police alleged a 16-year-old charged in January with child pornography-related and inciting hatred charges was affiliated with the 764 network.
The Crown has since dropped four of five charges against that teen, who is scheduled to return to court Feb. 26, because there was “no realistic prospect of conviction on those four counts” after reviewing the evidence.
Meanwhile, Hofmann said extremism can be very challenging to identify and police, especially if ideologies are spread globally.
“It’s incredibly difficult to police this sort of thing, as the internet is ubiquitous … it’s like finding a needle in a haystack,” he said.
RCMP are asking the public to remain vigilant and inform police of any suspicious activities.
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