Online threats have been 'thrust into the spotlight' after the Southport killings (Image: Getty)
Children are being groomed online to self-harm and take their own lives by “fluid ideologies” like those that motivated the Southport attacker, a charity has warned.
The Molly Rose Foundation has urged Sir Keir Starmer to commit to decisive action to address online safety in the wake of Axel Rudakubana’s conviction.
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Andy Burrows, chief executive of the Molly Rose Foundation, said: “Online threats propelled by fluid ideologies have been thrust into the spotlight after the Southport killings and are driving deeply disturbing new trends, including children being groomed by online groups into acts of self-harm and even suicide.”
“Fluid ideologies” are where no clear ideology is identified in those committing or coercing others into violent or sadistic acts, the charity said.
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The Southport killer who murdered three children was referred to Prevent three times between 2019 and 2021 due to his interest in terrorist attacks and school shootings, but there was no evidence of a fixed ideology or motivation.
There is large public concern about online harm driven by fluid ideologies, fresh polling by YouGov of over 2,000 adults found.
Almost nine in 10 (87%) adults are concerned about online content featuring extreme violence while 91% are concerned about the online grooming of children leading to self-harm and suicide acts.
Mr Burrows said: “Risks driven by fluid ideologies are now at the leading edge of the online suicide and self-harm threat and urgent action is required. In the face of such appalling risks, it beggars belief that Ofcom has failed to introduce any targeted measures to address suicide and self-harm offences.
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“The Prime Minister must now intervene with tough legislation that stops more inherently preventable tragedies and that treats this threat with the urgency it deserves.”
The charity said an overwhelming majority of people back a new Online Safety Act, and said the Government and regulator Ofcom are not doing enough.
Ian Russell, the father of Molly Russell who took her own life aged 14 after viewing suicide material online, recently wrote to the Prime Minister urging him to commit to a new Online Safety Act that focusses on the conduct of tech companies and embeds an overarching duty of care on platforms to protect children.
A government spokesman said: "Social media is not a law-free zone, and it is unacceptable for it to be used to incite harm or hatred. The independent inquiry into the Southport attack will look at the challenge of rising youth violence and extremism to ensure no one falls through the cracks. We continue to work at pace to identify the nature and scale of a growing cohort.
“From this month the Online Safety Act will require platforms to remove illegal content, including content which encourages people to self-harm or take their own lives. From summer platforms will need to take even more proactive steps to protect young users from harmful material.”
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