The Metropolitan Police has issued an urgent warning to London parents as new figures reveal a dramatic 38% increase in teenage radicalisation cases linked to social media platforms including TikTok and Instagram Reels.
Home Office data shows referrals to the government's Prevent scheme in the capital surged between April 2024 and March 2025, with the majority involving children under 18 years old.
Warning signs every parent should recognise
Detective superintendent Jane Corrigan, the Met's London Prevent co-ordinator, identifies several key behavioural changes that could indicate a child is being groomed online.
"Say you had a child who was autistic, who was spending a lot of time online, who'd become very withdrawn from the house, who was very angry and refusing to go to school," she told Metro.
Other concerning signs include children becoming increasingly secretive about their online activities, developing sudden intolerance towards different opinions, and beginning to speak using language that doesn't sound like their own.
Police emphasise that these behavioural shifts often occur when young people are "spending a lot of time in their bedrooms" with parents feeling uncertain about how to discuss their online activities.
How social media algorithms accelerate radicalisation
Cyber threats expert Dr Joe Whittaker from Swansea University explains how platform algorithms actively push users toward increasingly extreme content.
"If you watch progressively more extreme far-right or misogynistic videos it learns very quickly that's what you want to see - and all of a sudden you'll be shown more and more," he warned.
The problem is particularly acute on short-form video platforms like TikTok, YouTube Shorts and Instagram Reels, where highly edited clips can quickly normalise extreme viewpoints.
Dr Whittaker notes that even on platforms designed for younger users, "it's still extremely easy to find whichever ideology you're interested in."
What parents can do to protect their children
Police advise that open, non-judgemental conversations provide the most effective protection against online radicalisation.
Detective Corrigan compares children accessing extremist content online to "meeting strangers in the park late at night" - something most parents would never permit.
Specialists recommend several practical steps for concerned parents:
- Monitor who children connect with online and through gaming platforms
- Discuss how to identify fake news and misinformation
- Explain the real-world consequences of expressing extreme views
- Use parental control settings appropriately
- Maintain open communication channels
The Act Early helpline provides 24/7 support from specially trained officers where parents can confidentially share concerns.
Security minister Dan Jarvis confirmed that the Prevent scheme has successfully diverted 6,000 people away from violent ideologies, helping to maintain public safety across the country.
With London teenagers facing unprecedented exposure to harmful content through their smartphones, police urge parents to trust their instincts and seek help early rather than waiting until situations become critical.
