Why were three young people stopped before anyone was hurt?

Have you ever wondered why the police or security officers sometimes stop someone before a crime has even happened?

This week, Singapore's Internal Security Department (ISD) announced that three young Singaporeans had been detained under the Internal Security Act (ISA) after investigators discovered that they had become self-radicalised and were planning violent attacks. Although the three youths did not know one another and acted separately, investigators found that all of them had been influenced by harmful extremist material they had discovered online.

The good news is that none of the attacks happened. ISD acted early, stopping all three before anyone was harmed. Among the three youths, two were secondary school students. Their stories remind us that harmful ideas on the internet can sometimes influence young people if they are not careful.

The 14-year-old Secondary 2 student

The first student was a 14-year-old Secondary 2 student. According to ISD, he spent many months watching violent videos and reading online material that praised people who had carried out attacks in other countries. Instead of seeing these attackers as criminals, he slowly began admiring them. As time went on, his thinking became more extreme. Investigators later discovered that he had written a 21-page plan to carry out a mass stabbing attack at his own secondary school during the June school holidays. He believed there would be fewer teachers around at that time and had already identified people he wanted to target. Fortunately, ISD arrested him about one month before his planned attack.

The 15-year-old Secondary 4 student

The second student was a 15-year-old Secondary 4 student. ISD found that he had also become influenced by harmful ideas he found online. Investigators said he supported several violent extremist groups and believed that carrying out an attack in Singapore would help spread their cause. He spent time researching how to make homemade explosives and created online chat groups where he tried to encourage other people to support these dangerous beliefs. Before he could carry out any attack, ISD detained him.

What does "radicalised" mean?

You may have heard adults use the word radicalised. Radicalisation happens when a person's way of thinking slowly changes after being exposed to dangerous ideas over a long period of time. Instead of believing that problems should be solved peacefully, the person gradually starts believing that violence or hurting innocent people is acceptable. This does not usually happen overnight. It often happens slowly as someone repeatedly watches the same types of videos, reads similar messages or joins online communities that encourage hatred and violence. Over time, these harmful ideas can begin to seem normal, even though they are wrong.

Singapore is one of the safest countries in the world. These cases remind us that danger does not always come from outside the country. Sometimes, harmful ideas can spread through the internet and influence young people if they are not careful. That is why parents, teachers, schools and the authorities all work together to keep children safe. The good news is that ISD discovered the danger early and acted before anyone was harmed. Their quick action helped protect students, teachers and the wider community.

In the next Why Pals News article, we will learn why schools across Singapore regularly conduct emergency drills and how these exercises help keep everyone safe if an emergency ever happens.

Why Pals Takeaway

The internet is an amazing place to learn new things, make friends and discover the world. But just like crossing a busy road, we must learn how to use it safely. By asking questions, thinking carefully and talking to trusted adults whenever something does not feel right, we can protect ourselves and help keep our communities safe.