KUALA LUMPUR: The involvement of youths in online subcultures that glorify notorious killers has emerged as a new threat requiring serious attention from the authorities following several recent school attacks, says security analyst Munira Mustaffa.
She said three separate school-related incidents – in Kuching on Wednesday, Banting in July and Bandar Utama in October last year – are believed to be linked to the teenagers’ interest in the True Crime Community (TCC) subculture.
Munira explained that the subculture typically glorifies mass killings, such as the 1999 Columbine High School massacre in the United States and the 2019 Christchurch mosque shootings in New Zealand, while fostering a negative perception that the world is cruel towards its members.
“Exposure to this subculture risks driving teenagers towards misanthropic and nihilistic violent extremism, a belief system that instils deep hatred towards humanity and society as a whole,” she told Bernama.
Munira said the threat is difficult to detect because perpetrators are likely to act alone, often starting with personal grievances that escalate into hatred towards society.
“They meticulously plan their targets, timing and locations, usually focusing on soft targets such as schools, and release manifestos or livestream their attacks to draw the attention of their subculture community,” she said.
She also said attack methods are often inspired by previous incidents, which perpetrators study closely to maximise their impact and pay homage to past attackers.
Munira stressed that school attacks could be prevented at an early stage through close cooperation among schools, parents, authorities and students.
She noted that the teenagers’ young age and desire for attention often lead them to reveal their intentions or plans to peers, whether at school or through online platforms.
“Prevention efforts require a high level of trust between students and teachers. Students must feel safe and confident that they will not face repercussions if they report a friend’s suspicious behaviour.
“At the same time, teachers and parents must be alert to behavioural changes and red flags, including monitoring who their children associate with online,” she said.
Munira, however, cautioned that behavioural changes and warning signs must be assessed cumulatively and holistically, stressing that follow-up action is warranted only when multiple clear indicators point to a genuine threat.
