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Recognise the difference between exploring, identifying and acting, and know when to escalate.
Radicalisation is a process, not a switch. On platforms such as TikTok, Discord and X it unfolds in phases: from general exploration ('why do I feel different?'), through identification with a group or thinker, to a concrete intention to act. Understanding which phase someone is in determines whether you note the signal, start a conversation or escalate.
Algorithms speed up the process: one click on a 'masculinity' video can, within weeks, lead to a For You feed full of anti-women, anti-democratic or religious-extremist content. Patterns to watch for: binary thinking ('them vs. us'), in-group humour and coded language, and the glorification of figures outside the mainstream.
No single signal is decisive; what matters is a change in pattern. Language that hardens, friends who drop away, obsessive interest in one figure or movement, or sudden moralising towards peers. Distinguish adolescent identity exploration from a hardening with a fixed direction.
An open attitude works: be curious about the why behind the attraction, not about the content itself. Avoid moralising; it closes the door. Ask questions such as 'what is it about this that speaks to you?' and 'what would you like to be different?'. With acute signals (calls for violence, a weapon, a date): escalate.
