EXTREMISMRaised for the Reich: White Supremacists Are Recruiting Teens for On-the-Ground Action
White supremacists have a long history of trying to recruit youths to join their movement as a means of filling their ranks and maintaining relevancy. The ubiquity of social media in young people’s lives means that today there are many opportunities for white supremacists to reach youths with their content and recruit them to their cause.
White supremacists have a long history of trying to recruit youths to join their movement as a means of filling their ranks and maintaining relevancy. However, the ubiquity of social media in young people’s lives means that today there are many opportunities for white supremacists to reach youths with their content and recruit them to their cause. These efforts can potentially lead children down a path of hate, as is the case with recent “for youth, by youth” white supremacist groups cropping up across the United States. As recent criminal cases involving juveniles demonstrate, these youth recruitment initiatives can even draw minors into criminal activity – occasionally with life-altering consequences.
In January 2025, three teenage boys in Florida were convicted for a spree of antisemitic vandalisms in Pensacola, which included spray-painting hate symbols and throwing bricks through the windows of a Chabad Jewish Center and a synagogue. The teens were part of a white supremacist crew for boys under the age of 18 called “Blood and Soil Crew” or “2119.”
That same month, at least one student at a high school in Virginia was caught distributing propaganda for a white supremacist group. The group’s Gab account claimed to be preparing white youth for an “invisible” race war being waged on white people.
One month later, in February 2025, a white supremacist network of affiliated “Youth Clubs” became active online. By April, the clubs began distributing hateful propaganda and holding training events in their local communities. The national network appears to emulate the Active Club Network—older white supremacist crews who view themselves as fighters training for a battle against a system that they believe is against the white race—but claims to be a “nationalist” organization specifically designed for individuals aged 16-18. These Youth Clubs serve as a jumping off point for young men, introducing them to the greater white supremacist movement.
In addition to these “for youth, by youth” white supremacist clubs, well-established white supremacist groups and networks have created mechanisms to attract young people. For example, the Goyim Defense League (GDL) is using OmeTV video chats to encourage children to make hateful gestures or use hate speech while trying to draw them into their network.
