On-line behaviours and activities amongst individuals who have radicalised in Australia

Prof. Adrian Cherney, Ms Emma Belton

1School of Social Science University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
2School of Social Science University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia

There is increasing concern about the role of internet-based technologies in contributing to the problem of radicalisation and violent extremism. Research indicates that social media and extremist websites can help to increase capability to commit a terrorist act and operate as ideological echo chambers. Scholars have pointed out that the relationship between social media use and radicalisation to violent extremism is more complicated than assumed and that on-line and off-line activities cannot be easily separated. This paper will explore the problem of on-line radicalisation amongst a sample of Australian individuals. It will draw on data from the Profiles of Individual Radicalisation in Australia (PIRA) dataset. PIRA captures 122 different variables relating to background, demographic, group affiliation, and contextual information on individuals who have radicalised in Australia. Data on social media and internet use amongst the sample will be presented. Behaviours on the passive and active use of social media and the internet will be explored, and trends investigated relating to its contribution to individual level radicalisation. The relationship between on-line and off-line behaviours will be considered and implications for theory and policy outlined.


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