As part of INHOPE's Expert Insights webinar series, funded by the European Union's Better Internet for Kids programme, we were pleased to welcome Hannah Rose, Senior Research and Policy Manager for Extremism at the Institute for Strategic Dialogue (ISD), to discuss the findings of ISD's recent report, Beyond Extremism: Platform Responses to Online Subcultures of Nihilistic Violence.
The webinar explored a growing challenge in the online safety landscape: harmful online communities that promote violence, abuse, and exploitation but do not fit traditional definitions of extremism.
Much of the existing research and policy response to online harms has focused on ideologically motivated extremism. However, Hannah highlighted that a growing number of online communities are organised around shared identities, aesthetics, humour, and status rather than coherent political beliefs.
These networks often bring together individuals who celebrate violence, cruelty, and harmful behaviour for its own sake. As a result, traditional approaches to identifying and countering extremist content may not always be effective.
The webinar examined how these communities operate, why they are attractive to some young people, and the challenges they present for platforms, policymakers, researchers, and child protection organisations.
Young people may become involved in harmful online spaces for a variety of reasons, including curiosity, a desire for belonging, identity exploration, or a search for community. These factors do not automatically lead to harmful behaviour, but they can make some individuals more susceptible to grooming and exploitation by malicious actors online.
Rather than focusing solely on individual responsibility, Hannah emphasised the importance of understanding the broader social and psychological factors that can increase vulnerability.
One of the central recommendations presented during the webinar was adopting a public health approach to prevention.
This means moving beyond reactive responses and investing in measures that strengthen resilience before harm occurs. Supporting young people's wellbeing, improving digital literacy, promoting healthy online engagement, and addressing underlying vulnerabilities can all help reduce the risk of exploitation.
The public health model recognises that preventing harm requires action at multiple levels, involving families, educators, online platforms, policymakers, researchers, and civil society organisations.
While content moderation remains important, harmful networks are often highly resilient and adapt quickly to enforcement actions. Users may maintain multiple accounts and migrate across platforms when content is removed.
As a result, participants discussed the need for complementary approaches, including better signposting to support services, targeted interventions, and tools that help users access reliable information and assistance when they encounter harmful content or behaviours online.
A recurring message throughout the session was that no single organisation or sector can tackle these challenges alone.
Addressing emerging forms of online harm requires collaboration between technology companies, researchers, governments, child protection organisations, educators, and support services. Continued research and cross-sector cooperation will be essential to understanding these evolving threats and developing effective responses.
For those who were unable to attend, the webinar recording is available to watch on our YouTube channel
