Alleged school shooting plots, crushing animals and forcing infants to vape are among the laundry list of concerning effects of social media raised by federal police at a parliamentary hearing.

Australian Federal Police (AFP) Deputy Commissioner Sandra Booth appeared before the Intelligence and Security Committee in Parliament House on Wednesday to speak about how radicalisation and manipulation has quickly become rampant across social media.

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In a shocking opening to her address, Booth said the issue has become “one of our biggest challenges in history”.

“Australia is at a crossroads of youth crime as young vulnerable and impressionable individuals are being radicalised at rapid speed,” she said.

Booth revealed several examples of how online platforms are allegedly impacting young Australians, noting they are “confronting, but we must have honest conversations”.

The first example was a 13-year-old boy who the AFP alleges had gained access to violent material on social media platform Discord.

Officers allegedly uncovered a notebook containing plans to commit a school shooting during a raid on his home. He remains before the courts.

“This was not in the US, this was in Australia,” Booth said.

The AFP also allegedly discovered another teenager allegedly connected with a “sadistic online network” and had his online handle written across the face of an infant, who was then forced to vape.

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Booth said the network was just one of many that taps into nihilism, gore, sextortion, cyber disruption or violence to turn youths and other vulnerable people into perpetrators of crimes.

Online groups are targeting Australian teenagers to commit horrific crimes via manipulation and radcalisation, police have warned. Credit: Getty

They operate by blackmailing teenagers to commit abhorrent acts such as recording or streaming “animal crushing” and physically or sexually assaulting their siblings, according to Booth.

“They think if they do what they are being asked they will no longer be targeted,” Booth said.

“These online groups go hunting for victims ... many are young girls.

“They’re made to feel they’ve made a friend, but really they are being groomed and then trapped in a cycle of hurting themselves for the gratification of these online groups.”

But these groups represent just one of many ways emerging technology is infiltrating Australia in negative ways.

As Islamic extremism spread across the globe in the 2010s, people would take “months or even years” to become radicalised, according to Booth. In the highly connected world of today, that process takes a matter of days.

AFP Deputy Commissioner Sandra Booth says youth radicalisation is becoming one of the toughest challenges in Australia’s history. Credit: APH

Booth said a “growing grievance generation, young people searching for a purpose and belonging, and sophistication of these online networks” are all contributing to young Australians being easily turned to radicalism.

“While technology and AI bring opportunities to society ... AI is accelerating and lowering the skills to radicalise victims online,” she said.

“Without serious intervention, Australia faces mental health, education, finance and judicial systems being overwhelmed by a younger generation and vulnerable people burdened by repeated victimisation or because they are committing serious criminal offences.

“This could have serious consequences for democracy, traditional institutions and the rules-based order.”

Booth concluded by noting the AFP was nearing the release of peer-reviewed research into the phenomena while also creating task forces to identify and stop offences before they come to fruition.