Ofcom publishes FK&Y’s report on online violent content viewed by children

15th March 2024 – Ofcom has today published FK&Y’s report ‘Understanding Pathways to Online Violent Content Among Children’. Family Kids and Youth (FK&Y) was commissioned by Ofcom to conduct research to explore the pathways through which children encounter violent content online. The research consisted of 2 focus groups with professionals (including teachers, specialists who work with vulnerable children, and youth social workers), 15 in-school workshops with a total of 232 children aged 8 to 17 from across the UK, and 15 in-depth interviews with children aged 12-16 identified as having had direct experience of violent content. The research was carried out between May and November 2023. Key findings include:

• Children first see violent content while still at primary school and describe it as an inevitable art of being online
• Children describe violent content as ‘unavoidable’ online
• Teenagers 13-15, especially boys, are more likely to share violent content to fit in with peers
• Recommender algorithms and group messaging fuel exposure
• Children’s willingness to report harmful content undermined by lack of trust in the process

The report can be downloaded here