The FBI said they are seeing a sharp increase in the 764 Members of Violent Online Networks targeting young people with the goal of coercing them into recording or even live-streaming acts of self-harm. The FBI is warning parents about a disturbing online trend targeting teens. Internet strangers are trying to coerce minors into harming themselves. The FBI said they are seeing a sharp increase in the 764 Members of Violent Online Networks, which are internet strangers targeting young people to coerce them into recording or even live-streaming acts of self-harm. “Parents and educators, we here at FBI Richmond want to tell you about an alarming trend we’re seeing that’s affecting our children,” FBI Richmond Special Agent in Charge Stanley Meador said. It’s a trend that’s been rapidly growing since 2022. Meador said these violent networks are targeting young people online with a desire to cause fear and chaos through them. “What we’ve seen anything that involves sending what we call child sex abuse materials, nude photos of young people to things as severe as getting young people to carve their abuser’s name into their skin and photograph that,” Meador said. Meador said these extremist groups will also extort victims into sharing anything related to animal cruelty, violence to others, and even suicide.
via 12onyourside: FBI Richmond warns parents of violent online networks targeting children