Spotting Bad Ideas Online: A Kid's Guide

What Does Radicalisation Mean?

Sometimes, people online or in real life try to change the way you think in a bad way.

They might say things like:

“Only our group is right.”
“Don’t trust anyone but me.”
“You should hate people who are different.”

They might act nice at first, give you compliments, or send you videos or games. But they’re actually trying to trick you into believing something unkind, unfair, or even dangerous.

Radicalisation is when someone slowly tries to change your mind until you believe something that hurts other people.

What Might Look Like?

It can start in many ways like:

The Sneaky Fox Friend: They seem nice and friendly, but they want you to keep secrets from your grown-ups.
The Trick Game: It starts as fun, but then the game teaches you mean or strange ideas.
The Wild Video: It says shocking things like “everyone is lying to you” or “we're the only ones who know the truth.”

How to stay safe

It could be :

If someone tells you to keep secrets, it’s time to speak out
If something feels wrong, or makes your tummy flip, tell a trusted grown-up
Don’t click on weird links or videos that feel angry or confusing.
That’s how they sneak into your head!