Rachel Morgan writes that an alarming online network, where children are coerced into committing violent and self-harming acts, has been uncovered in multiple countries. This phenomenon exploits vulnerabilities in young people's mental health struggles to promote 'the gamification of harm', a disturbing trend that spreads across the globe.
One such case came to light in late 2024 when a 14-year-old boy in Stockholm, Sweden was allegedly linked to the '764 network' and stabbed an elderly man. The attack was livestreamed online, fueling a network that celebrates violence, manipulation, and harm for notoriety and control. Founded by a US teenager now serving an 80-year sentence for possessing child sexual abuse material, the '764 network' is just one aspect of this evolving and disturbing trend.
Legal records show these groups promote a culture of violence, manipulation, and harm, collecting evidence to gain notoriety and control. Bjørn Ihler, founder of security firm Revontulet, describes it as a 'youth phenomenon', where young individuals recruit other young individuals into this network. A worrying aspect highlighted by Australian federal police commissioner Krissy Barrett is how victims are often groomed into becoming perpetrators themselves in an attempt to escape their online tormentors.
The Swedish investigation into the 2024 stabbing, which deemed the teenager too young for criminal responsibility in April 2025, uncovered a larger network. An online username 'Chai' emerged during inquiries, leading to further revelations. Linus Svensson's investigative work with Swedish broadcaster SVT has identified at least nine local court cases related to 'the Com', a broader online network that encompasses groups like 764 engaging in cybercrime, extortion, and violence. Svensson found dozens of Swedish members within these chat groups, highlighting the widespread nature of this problem.
Further investigation by SVT linked 'Chai' to a teenager in northern Sweden convicted in 2024 for attempting to coerce a 13-year-old boy into taking his own life. This teenager is currently on trial for over 70 alleged offences, including encouraging self-harm and creating child sexual abuse material, primarily against an Australian girl. The trial, paused in late June 2026 for forensic psychiatric investigation, will be crucial in determining whether individuals can be held accountable for remotely coercing others into acts of self-harm or violence – a core tactic of these groups.