Social Media as a Catalyst and Trigger for Youth Violence...Social Media as a Catalyst and Trigger...
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Social Media as a Catalyst and Trigger for Youth Violence – Tom Sackville, Operations Director, Young People & Families, Catch22
Transcript of 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 [email protected]
Catch22
27 Pear Tree St
London, EC1V 3AG
020 7336 4800
www.catch-22.org.uk
