The increasing radicalisation of minors towards different forms of extremism is a serious concern and a development that the Norwegian Police Security Service (PST) has been observing over time.
A particularly troubling characteristic of these networks is that vulnerable children and young people are often targeted for recruitment.
The networks use grooming, so-called “love bombing”, threats, sexual extortion, manipulation and violent rituals to attract and recruit children and young people. Some groups, for example, have initiation requirements in which prospective members are expected to commit acts of violence.
The activity becomes relevant to PST’s mandate when violence is driven by a political, religious or ideological motivation aimed at provoking and accelerating chaos and societal collapse. At the same time, PST observes that the ideological element within these networks is often overshadowed by an extreme focus on brutal violence.
The phenomenon is transnational, with individuals in Norway being linked to international groups and networks. PST is concerned that the scale of the phenomenon may be considerably greater than currently known.
An Increase Since 2024
This type of activity is not necessarily connected to firmly held extremist ideological beliefs. Nevertheless, both the aesthetics and ideological elements associated with extremism are frequently incorporated into the groups’ content.
Today’s online environment enables this development and its associated content to spread considerably faster and reach a much larger—and younger—audience than previously.
PST has observed an increase in activity associated with this phenomenon since 2024.
Several countries have recorded incidents of violence and terrorism linked to these violent and extremist networks in recent years. PST is concerned that such networks may provide an entry point into radicalisation and politically motivated violence.
However, the majority of activity within these networks consists of criminal acts, including sexual extortion, animal abuse and vandalism. Such offences generally fall outside PST’s mandate.
PST’s responsibility is specifically to prevent politically motivated violence.
Radicalisation
The extremist landscape in 2026 is changing. Ideology alone is no longer necessarily an isolated driving force behind radicalisation.
PST has previously examined the characteristics of minors involved in right-wing extremism in its report, “Minor Right-Wing Extremists – What Characterises Them?”
It can nevertheless be difficult to identify the precise trigger that causes an individual to develop an acceptance of violence.
Different non-ideological influences, as well as a fascination with violence itself, can contribute to a radicalisation process. PST is now observing that acceptance of violence—particularly within violent online networks of this kind—may already be established before an individual encounters explicitly extremist content.
If a person with an existing fascination with violence subsequently enters a network with a clear extremist ideology, PST is concerned that the radicalisation process could develop rapidly.
Early Prevention Is Essential
Early prevention is considered essential to addressing the threat posed by violent extremist online communities.
A shared understanding of the situation and greater awareness of the phenomenon are regarded as critical tools in dealing with this development.
By identifying warning signs at an early stage, society may be able to intervene before a radicalisation process has progressed too far.
Awareness of children’s online and media habits, changes in behaviour, social isolation and self-harm are among the indicators that society should be alert to in connection with this phenomenon.
Preventive Work
The development involving violent extremist online communities is often discussed under umbrella terms such as *The Com and nihilistic violent extremism” (NVE).
Groups and networks such as 764, Murder Maniac Cult (MKU), No Lives Matter (NLM) and the Order of Nine Angles (O9A) are frequently mentioned in this context.
These networks can contain elements of violent nihilism, misanthropy, Satanism, sadism and far-right extremism—particularly accelerationism—as well as elements associated with other extremist ideologies and extreme, sometimes sexualised, violence.
PST is working preventively on the issue through its Counter-Terrorism Department.
The security service stresses that the phenomenon must be understood as broader than conventional ideological extremism. The combination of vulnerable young people, online grooming, violent content, criminal activity, fascination with violence and extremist narratives presents a complex challenge for authorities and society.
Early identification and cooperation between relevant authorities, schools, parents and other actors may therefore be important in preventing vulnerable young people from being drawn further into violent extremist environments.
PST Encourages the Public to Report Concerns
PST encourages members of the public to report concerns involving violent extremist networks, individuals who may be undergoing radicalisation towards extremism, or other matters falling within PST’s mandate.
Information provided at an early stage may help authorities identify developments before they escalate into politically motivated violence.
(Source: Norwegian Police Security Service)