Online harm groups

What are online harm groups?

Online harm groups (sometimes called ‘Com groups’, short for community) are groups of people who use online platforms to manipulate, control, threaten or exploit others.

They often operate through messaging apps, gaming platforms, channels or servers.

Members may try to gain status from others within the group by sharing evidence of how they have manipulated or pressured another person online to harm themselves or someone else.

Their behaviour can be illegal and may involve pressuring people to:

• Harm themselves or others
• Share nude or sexual images or videos
• Carry out humiliating acts
• Hurt siblings or pets
• Record or livestream the above acts as proof for the group or others to share

Both group members and those targeted are often under 18 year olds.

How does contact lead to harm?

These situations rarely begin with obvious warning signs. Contact often starts as a normal conversation about shared interests, games or experiences. Communication can build gradually over time, but may also increase and intensify quickly. As these relationships develop, some young people may find it difficult to recognise harmful behaviour or leave the conversation. This may be because the young person may receive friendship, emotional support, compliments or special attention, helping them feel valued and understood.

Over time, the young person being targeted may begin to be asked personal questions, encouraged to keep things secret, get requests for images or videos, or be pressured to do things that make them uncomfortable. Information, images or recordings are later used to threaten, blackmail or control them.

Harm may not always follow this pattern. Some young people may already be struggling or harming themselves before contact with an online harm group or its members. The group may appear supportive at first, but over time harmful behaviour may become normalised, encouraged or rewarded. This can make the harm worse and harder to recognise, both for the young person and for the adults who care for them.

Young people may not react in ways that adults expect. For example, they may stay connected to the group, downplay what has happened or refuse support. This does not mean they are choosing the abuse; they are still a victim and need help and protection.

How to help protect your child

You don’t need to know everything about every app, game or platform to help protect your child online. The most important thing is to stay involved, keep conversations open, and help them recognise when something is not right.

You can support your child by:

• Talking regularly about the platforms they're on, online relationships, experiences and who they interact with.
  
  
• Encouraging them to come to you or another trusted adult if they are ever worried or uncomfortable online, letting them know you won’t judge and will help them.
  
  
• Helping them recognise manipulation tactics, such as pressure. This may include:
  
  
  • feeling rushed into making decisions or responding
  • being dared or challenged to prove themselves
  • being made to feel guilty for saying no or leaving
  • being threatened or blackmailed
  • being told to keep secrets
  • being pressured to share images, videos or personal information
  • someone continuing to contact them after they have tried to end communication
    
    
• Reminding them that true friends respect boundaries, don’t make you feel bad or humiliated, and accept "no" for an answer.
  
  
• Reassuring them that they can leave, block and report conversations that make them feel uncomfortable.

What to look out for

There may be no obvious sign that a young person is being harmed by an online harm group. Some of the signs below can have many explanations, while others reflect the particular ways these groups cause harm. Changes you may notice in a young person's mood, behaviour or online activity could include:

• Spending more time online, particularly alone
• Becoming focused on a new online relationship or group
• Becoming secretive or distressed about their online activity
• Receiving unexplained gifts, money or in-game currency
• Self-harm injuries - including forming names, usernames, initials, numbers or symbols
• Other unexplained injuries, or attempts to keep injuries covered
• Unexplained harm to siblings, other children or animals
• Fear about leaving an online group
• Pressure to record or livestream harm to themselves

One sign on its own doesn't mean that a young person has been targeted by an online harm group. Think about any concerns you have in context and alongside any other changes in their behaviour or online activity.

What to do if you are concerned

If you believe your child has been targeted or harmed:

1. Stay calm and listen without judgement.

2. Reassure them that they are not in trouble and are not to blame.

3. Encourage them to stop communicating with the person or group.

4. Avoid deleting anything that could be used as evidence.

5. Report what has happened to the police by calling 101, or 999 if there is an immediate risk of harm.
   
   

Under 18 year olds can also contact the NCA’s CEOP Safety Centre at www.ceop.police.uk.