Social Media as a Catalyst and Trigger for Youth Violence...Social Media as a Catalyst and Trigger...

Social Media as a Catalyst

and Trigger for Youth

Violence– Tom Sackville, Operations Director, Young

People & Families, Catch22

The Dawes Unit

Research, policy and practice

Community based work – young people, families, schools

and communities

www.catch-22.org.uk/offers/gangs/#dawesunit

The links

between young

people’s use of

social media and

youth violence

A six month online platform analysis looking at

Twitter, YouTube, Snapchat, Instagram, Periscope

Interviews with key stakeholders

An International literature review

The Research

1. Violence or provocation

uploaded

4. Violent retaliation

broadcast

2. Content spreads over

multiple platforms

3. Huge audiences = huge

social pressure

Discussion:

Your digital experience

Key Findings

IMPACT OF THE SMARTPHONE

Developments in smartphone technology pose greater challenges due to

the ease of creating and sharing content

GROWING AUDIENCE

Violence is now spread over multiple platforms making violent retaliation

more likely due to the threat to status and reputation

NO HOLDS BARRED

Young people see social media as a hidden platform away from adults

where they can share violent content

VIOLENT INTENT IS THE EXCEPTION NOT THE NORM

The vast majority of young people don’t want to live violent lifestyles – the

videos are not a cause of youth violence but act as a catalyst

EXPOSURE TO GROWING ONLINE VIOLENCE

Content showing groups trespassing into areas associated with rival groups

as well as serious incidents of violence are shared widely

DRILL MUSIC VIDEOS

Music videos that reflect the realities of young people’s lives are different

from the small number of videos that incite violence

VULNERABILITY OF YOUNG WOMEN

Some girls are being violently and sexually assaulted by members of rival

groups, or groomed, after appearing in or commenting on content

NEGATIVE IMPLICATIONS FOR EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT

A glamorised lifestyle encouraging violence and undermining routes to

education and employment is on display to a huge audience

SOCIAL PRESSURES

Social media content puts huge social pressures on young people to retaliate

in real life to protect their status and reputation

Discussion:

Current Responses –

training, supervision and

guidance

Inadequate training

Limited supervision

Limited response to online reports

Lack of legal and organisational guidance

Recommendations

All professionals working with young people should be provided with

appropriate training

Further research commissioned on the links between activity on

social media and the exploitation of young women.

Online resources explaining the basics of the main social media platforms

Parents and carers providing oversight of their children’s activity on

social media

Prevention

Professionals should actively use social media

Legislative guidance should be revisited

The Home Office should provide comprehensive guidance on social

media use

VCSO should provide similar guidance to their frontline practitioners

Intervention

All social media providers should provide simple and anonymous

reporting processes

The police should engage with social media

platforms to flag content that displays or incites

serious violence

Suppression

For further information, please contact tom.sackville@catch-22.org.uk

Catch22

27 Pear Tree St

London, EC1V 3AG

020 7336 4800

www.catch-22.org.uk