Study finds most convicted terrorists are radicalised online

A study for the ministry of justice has found that most convicted terrorists in Britain were radicalised online.

The study investigated official risk assessments of every convicted terrorist in prison in England and Wales since 2010.

Half of those radicalised online were also found to have problems with their mental health, personality disorders, depression or autism.

The researchers from the prison and probation service and Nottingham Trent and Bournemouth Universities found that the plans of those radicalised online were less likely to succeed.

According to the study, between 2013–15, 43 per cent of convicted terrorists in prison were radicalised wholly or partly online. In 2016-18, that number was 84 per cent and in 2019-21, it had risen to 92 per cent.

The research found that 85 per cent of those radicalised online were lone actors.

The research revealed that of those radicalised online between 2010 and 2021, 28 per cent had a previous conviction for another crime and 15 per cent of those were violent offence.