Aarhus records 18 extremism concerns involving young people

DR reports that Aarhus Municipality recorded 18 cases raising concern about possible radicalisation or extremism among children and young people between August 2025 and August 2026. The municipality says vulnerable young people are being drawn into extremist groups online.

The concerns, raised by teachers, educators and others, vary widely, according to Trine Nedbo, who leads the municipality’s crime-prevention work. Some involve early signs of radical or extremist views expressed in class; others involve young people sharing extremist material online or making threats.

The cases included one involving anti-authority extremism, two involving antisemitism, two involving extreme Islamism and four involving far-right extremism. The remaining nine covered other concerns, including fascination with gore, antisemitism and threats against schools, according to Infohus Aarhus.

Aarhus Municipality and East Jutland Police have held conversations with the children and young people to assess the seriousness of the concerns. Nedbo said that, in the worst cases, behaviour could lead to school shootings or similar violence, but that most cases do not have that character. She said preventive work helps authorities identify concerns before young people make concrete threats.

Nedbo said online groups are increasingly influencing young people. She compared them to street corners that attract young people and may lead to problematic behaviour, saying those meeting places have moved online.

Some cases may involve so-called nihilistic violent extremism, or NVE, which encompasses many shifting groups. The article describes some of these online groups as internet cults that pressure vulnerable children and young people to commit extreme acts. It says online chat groups have been used to livestream self-harm, torture, harm to pets, violence, sexual abuse, murder and suicide, and that the people carrying out the coercion are often other children or young people.

DR has previously reported two serious cases possibly linked to NVE groups. In one, three teenage boys were arrested over suspected plans for a terrorist attack on Hadsten School. In another, a 14-year-old boy tried to set fire to a mosque in Aarhus.

Nedbo said many of the young people involved in the municipality’s 18 cases are struggling, often experiencing severe distress and loneliness and seeking a sense of community online. Aarhus works to prevent radicalisation through conversations and workshops at schools and youth education institutions, but Nedbo said clearer legislation, guidelines and procedures are needed to help municipal staff engage with young people on digital platforms. She said questions remain about data protection and whether staff must identify themselves when contacting young people online.