Teen terrorists: Does Canada have a youth radicalization problem?

Canada's strategy to fight radicalization focuses on helping youths build “resilience” against extremist narratives. Is it working?

The arrest of a teenager accused of plotting a terrorist attack against the Ottawa Jewish community is the latest sign that Canada is struggling with the radicalization of youths.

The minor, taken into custody on Friday night, was the second youth apprehended for terrorism in two days. On Wednesday, RCMP arrested a 16-year-old in Calgary over an unrelated plot.

The RCMP said Saturday it had arrested five youths for terrorism just in the past six months, and that it had seen a “concerning trend” of terrorists using the internet to recruit youths.

As a result, police said parents, as well as teachers and coaches, should be on the alert for the signs of radicalization.

“We’re asking adults in positions of authority to be alert for behaviors of concern which may be linked to violent extremism,” the RCMP said in a statement.

The Ottawa youth’s father told Global News his son had become “more religious.” “I warned him many times,” to stay away from “extremist people,” he said, and even arranged for his son to speak to an imam.

But he said his son was naive and may have been used by extremists.

“There are some people taking advantage of him,” the father said. “They are bad. They are not religious. They use religion. They use religion to achieve their goals, you know, their personal goals, private goals.”