Violent online groups exploiting children and youth
On this page
Who they are
Violent online groups are targeting and manipulating vulnerable children and youth across widely accessible online platforms. For example, the "COM" (short for "community") is a virtual network of groups and individuals engaged in illicit activities that glorify child sexual abuse and exploitation materials, pedophilia, violence, cruelty, and gore.
Violent online groups, such as those within the COM network, deliberately target, victimize, and recruit vulnerable people, including children and youth.
Group members victimize children or youth for many reasons, including to:
- Build up their online notoriety ('clout chasing')
- Further ideological motivations by degrading society
- Recruit, vet, initiate, and radicalize others
- Desensitize viewers in preparation for more extreme acts and content
Where and how they operate
These groups operate in accessible online spaces such as social media platforms, applications, and online games like:
- Telegram
- Discord
- Roblox
- TikTok
- Snapchat
- Twitch
- Steam
Important note
Members of violent online groups are often youth or young adults. Their membership may have started because they were first victimized and exploited by an existing member, and they are then extorted or pressured into finding a victim of their own. Because they are also youth, kids are more likely to trust them when they make contact online.
Predators often use grooming tactics to gain a child or youth’s trust. This can include establishing friendly, romantic, or coercive relationships. Communication can happen gradually over time but can also increase rapidly.
The predator encourages the child or youth to take part in acts that increasingly shame, incriminate, and isolate them. This increases their vulnerability to further exploitation and can make them feel trapped or unable to seek help.
These acts can include recording or photographing themselves, siblings, or others:
- In sexually explicit poses
- Committing sexual acts
- Sexually exploiting others, including minors or siblings
- Harming or killing animals, including family pets
- Self-harming
- Attempting suicide
- Committing other acts of violence
Victims have also been pressured to perform:
- Cut signs
- Names/online handle(s) of group members carved into a victim’s skin and/or pets/animals
- Fan signs
- Names/online handle(s) of group members written on objects or pieces of paper, sometimes placed beside items such as dead animals or self-harm wounds
- Blood signs
- Names/online handle(s) of group members written in blood, often on the floor, a note, skin, or a wall.
Photos and videos shared with or taken by members are often circulated within the COM network. This further shames the victim and creates material used to desensitize and target others.
Offenders frequently share this content to gain notoriety within the network, as these acts of victimization are regarded as a form of social currency among members.
Predatory tactics
Some tactics employed by members within the COM network include:
- Threats to publicly post and/or share explicit or violent content with the victim’s family/friends
- Maliciously obtaining and publishing the victim’s personally identifiable information on the internet (doxing)
- Making a false report of an incident to law enforcement so emergency services are dispatched to a victim’s home or school (swatting)
- Threatening to report the victim’s activities to law enforcement or their school to embarrass them or get them in trouble
- Directly or indirectly threatening the security and wellbeing of the victim, their family members, or associates
Reminder to youth: It’s never too late to seek help! Even if you’ve already sent a picture or video, parents, caregivers, and local police are available to support you.
Warning signs and reporting
Important note
These indicators alone may not appear to be significant; however, when considered in clusters or with the totality of circumstances, they could be reason for concern.
Key indicators that a child you know could be the target of members of the COM network include:
- They use mobile apps like Telegram, Discord, or other encrypted communication platforms
- Family pets or other animals are being harmed, go missing, or die suspiciously
- A family pet is uncharacteristically avoidant or fearful
- They are demonstrating an interest in or affinity to extreme messaging or propaganda online
- They are demonstrating new interest in questioning or rejecting moral constraints, gore content, depictions of violence, terrorist propaganda, or occult imagery
- Writing in blood or what appears to be blood
- They have a new online “friend” or network they seem infatuated with and/or scared of
- They are receiving anonymous gifts (items delivered to your home, cryptocurrency, gaming currency, or other virtual items)
- The child or the family residence is receiving ongoing harassing phone calls or messages from unknown people online
- They are covering their skin in unusual ways or wearing clothing unsuitable for the weather
- They are going through more bandages, or showing evidence of cuts or carvings on their skin
- Excessive bandages are seen around the house or in garbage
- They are quieter than usual or uncharacteristically withdrawn
- They are excessively moody and on edge
- Their grades are dropping
- They are spending more time on the internet, unsupervised or alone in their room
- They are spending more money online or asking for money more often than usual
- They are scrawling names and/or numbers in notebooks, diaries, or on loose papers
How to help
It is critical that parents and caregivers:
- Monitor online activities
- Promote online safety practices
- Maintain open communication about the dangers that exist online
- Become familiar with the apps and platforms your children are using
- Foster an open dialogue and empower your child to approach you in the event they or someone they know are being targeted or victimized
- Never judge; approach situations calmly, with support and understanding
- Use community resources if you suspect something is going on with your child, whether that be through school, family physicians, community groups, or your local police
If you believe someone is in immediate danger, please call 9‑1‑1.
Resources
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