Extremism is on the rise among young people - defectors open in Umeå

Prosecutors and police warn that more violent acts may be carried out by lone extremists linked to sadistic networks.

The number of young Swedes who are drawn into violent online environments is growing, says Josefine Söderström, manager of Fryshuset's Exit operation, which helps people leave extremist groups.

- Precisely when it comes to misanthropy, we have significantly more cases now than we have ever had. We have seen a very large increase in cases in the last three years linked to the individual acting alone, she says.

Rapid radicalization

Exit is widened north and south to better support people who want to leave violent, radical, national or religious groups. From the office in Umeå, the whole of northern Sweden is covered.

Loners are especially hard to spot. You don't make signs with what an ideological or religious movement can often do, says Josefin Söderström.

- The problem is that there are people who are experts in finding vulnerable individuals. It is quite quick to get into such a bubble.

She likens it to gang crime.

- Digitization has contributed to making things go faster. In the past, it took time to work your way up within the organizations.

The average age is getting younger

Since Exit was started in 1998, the average age has been around 30-40 years. Today is 15-20.

- As a rule, there is always mental illness in the picture. We usually say that there are holes in every individual, some type of vulnerability. It is filled in these radicalized contexts, says Söderström.

A large part of the job consists of helping relatives of extremists with advice and guidance.

- You might isolate yourself, conspiracy theories start to appear or strange pages abound on the internet. We need to empower our young people so they can understand themselves and others, give them safe adults around them.