Educate Against Hate
As you grow and become more independent, it is not unusual to take risks, explore new things and push boundaries.
Teenage years are often a time when you will be searching for answers to questions about identity, faith and belonging, as well as looking for adventure and excitement.
This can mean that young people are particularly vulnerable to extremist groups, who may claim to offer answers, as well as identity and a strong social network. And because they know young people are vulnerable, extremist groups often target them using the Internet and social media to spread their ideology. There have been a number of tragic examples where young people have been misled by extremist groups, with some travelling to Syria and others becoming involved in hate crimes against minority groups.
It is important that you protect yourself from radicalisation and extremism, in the same way that you protect yourself from the other harms you may be more familiar with, such as drugs, gangs and sexual exploitation. The websites on this page are useful tools which provides practical advice and support to help you and keep you safe.