The Boys Are Not Alright

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Boys: The Boys Are Not Alright

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BBC Radio 4 - Boys, The Boys Are Not Alright

Investigating the rise of boys being radicalised online and the solutions to tackle it.

Jo Meek investigates the frightening rise of boys being radicalised online, and looks for the solutions to stop her own young sons spiralling.

When radio producer Jo Meek realised Daniel Harris - the teenager found guilty of encouraging terrorism - lived in her county, the story hit home. 

In The Boys Are Not Alright, she investigates the frightening rise of boys being radicalised online, and looks for the solutions to stop her own young sons spiralling.  

She uncovers evidence of how Harris, who spent to 14 hours a day online, quickly became radicalised. Daniel is not alone - over 2,600 children aged between 11 to 15 were referred to Prevent last year, with the vast majority boys. 

Experts describe a constantly evolving online gaming landscape that mimics a playground, but without any meaningful protections. And as Jo struggles to contain her son’s exposure to extremist ideas in the gaming world, she hears how hateful social media content is also proliferating fast, with a 12-fold increase since October 2023 that is specifically affecting young people.

Daniel Harris was radicalised, despite the best efforts of many in the community around him. Jo investigates what is being done by police and mental health services to ensure that young, vulnerable men - some of whom struggle to form real life relationships - are being protected and diverted from toxic online relationships.  And as the nature of extremism shifts, with new ideologies emerging and more terrorists acting alone, Jo asks if the real threat is posed by an internet that offers ever more compelling opportunities to radicalise.


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