SSP: Teachers must be able to see the red flags that the dark sides of the internet can plant in schoolchildren.

Before students stream back for another school year, some teachers themselves are heading back to the classroom. In municipalities such as Stevns and Vordingborg, SSP consultants are inviting teachers and other professionals to courses on internet radicalization.

SSP is the interdisciplinary collaboration between school, social services, and the police, and the consultants will, among other things, teach teachers how to spot the small traces that violent online communities risk leaving in children's behavior.

"It is important that teachers know the young people's online world and are aware of the early signs of radicalization," says SSP consultant in Stevns Municipality, Maria Ellinghart. She held her first preventive presentation for school teachers today.

"Many young people may show signs and attitudes in the classroom that they perhaps do not share at home. Therefore, it is important that teachers are attentive if they notice a change in a child," says Maria Ellinghart.

SSP consultant Maria Ellinghart teaches school teachers about the warning signs – or red flags – that can be early symptoms of internet radicalization. (Photo: © Private)

In Vordingborg Municipality, the municipality's SSP department has invited teachers and other professionals to a course at the beginning of September. And the municipality's SSP consultant, Michael Cardow, explains that invitations have gone out to both schools, after-school care, and club staff.

"And we have also invited the schools' IT staff, because they have insight into the computers that students borrow from the schools," says Michael Cardow, continuing:

"We really want to prevent and sharpen our awareness. We think you become better at listening and asking the right questions if you are familiar with the universes that young people navigate."

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Importance of preventive efforts

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The preventive course in Vordingborg Municipality has been planned since the spring and is thus not a reaction to the case from East Jutland, where three teenagers were charged this week under the terror provision (https://www.dr.dk/nyheder/indland/tre-personer-i-grundlovsforhoer-om-terrorsag-med-mulig-kobling-til-sadistiske-online-netvaerk) for planning an attack on a school:

"But the case underscores the importance of us preventing and equipping our colleagues to spot any deviant behavior," says Michael Cardow.

According to DR's information, authorities suspect that the charged teenagers from the terror case in East Jutland may have had connections to the internet's sadistic NVE network.

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What is NVE?

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NVE (Nihilistic Violent Extremism) covers many volatile groups.

Some of the most widespread in recent years are "The Community" (referred to as "The Com") and 764, and these are internet cults that pressure vulnerable children and young people into committing extreme acts. Self-harm, torture, and killing of pets, as well as violent acts, sexual abuse, and murder and suicide, are broadcast live in chat groups on the internet.

It is often other children and young people who are the extortionists. This is also called youth on youth crime.

"These specific networks fortunately do not take up much space in schoolchildren's digital lives," says Ask Hesby Holm, director of the member organization Digitalt Ansvar.

"But what does take up space is the violence," he says, pointing to a connection between violent online content and the sadistic networks:

>

> It is far too late when it goes so far that someone has already been

> radicalized.

> Ask Hesby Holm, director of Digitalt Ansvar.

"The networks use violence to lure young people into the communities, because the violence that young people see online helps shift the boundaries of what is normal," says Ask Hesby Holm.

Therefore, he is also glad that some schools are now placing extra focus on preventing internet radicalization:

"It is far too late when it goes so far that someone has already been radicalized, and it must be stopped by PET (the Danish Security and Intelligence Service). We need to intervene before that happens," he says.

And in fact, Ask Hesby Holm also praises the SSP departments for initially directing their awareness campaigns at schools and professionals, who he believes should be aware of the manipulation that can occur online. Parents can also benefit from becoming more familiar with their children's digital lives, he believes. But when it comes to talking to children, one should tread more carefully, and instead involve them more in the ordinary conversation about screen time and how to set boundaries:

"This is very intense, and I think one should remember that it is still only a few times that we experience something that escalates into violent acts," he says.

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