Mayor announces £5m investment in city-wide approach to tackling impact of algorithm-fuelled online harms and violence

• Sadiq sets out how his Violence Reduction Unit is to lead a coordinated public health approach to tackling online and digital safety for young people in light of new research and insights
• Measures include funding innovative bystander programme so young people can challenge harmful online behaviours directly, and a pioneering digital youth work programme to support young people on and offline 
• New independent research reveals that social media algorithms promote and expose young people to violent content, increasing pressure to respond physically 
• Analysis shows an association between increased misogynistic content online and an increase in police-recorded violence against women and girls   

 

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has today announced that his Violence Reduction Unit is investing £5 million as part of a city-wide approach to tackling online harms affecting young people after new research found that social media algorithms promote violent content and rapidly escalate conflict.

New groundbreaking research commissioned by the Mayor’s Violence Reduction Unit (VRU) found that social media ‘changed the scale’ of existing disputes between young people, making them public, mass events, generating pressure to respond and making it harder for them to escape from. 

In-depth analysis of London data found that was an association between an increase in misogynistic posts online and a rise in police-recorded violence against women and girls that same day. This does not infer causality, but demands further research.

In response, the Mayor has today announced that his VRU is drawing on its seven-year track record of pioneering a public health approach to tackle online and digital harms affecting young people.

Building on learning from research and findings from the Southport inquiry, the VRU’s city-wide response for young people will centre on investing £4.9m in a series of interventions, which includes:

• Funding the first-ever city-wide targeted bystander de-escalation and intervention programme to give young people the skills and confidence to recognise and challenge harmful online behaviours.
• Establishing a new programme to improve local responses to online harms. The programme, which will initially operate in six London boroughs with plans to expand city-wide, will design and test approaches including enabling earlier identification of young people affected by online harms and developing local rapid response to incidents where online harms present a risk of violence, exploitation or harmful sexual behaviour.
• A bespoke programme of innovation in digital youth work to help London’s youth workers adapt to supporting young people both online and offline. 
• Delivering a targeted mentoring programme for girls and young women at greatest risk of online violence and abuse
• Funding a series of interventions on masculinity for boys and young men through positive male role models delivered in schools, through football mentors and by fathers 
• Training to upskill youth workers, teachers, parents and carers on healthy relationships and how to better support young people online

 

The VRU, which has contributed to a 50 per cent reduction in hospital admissions of young people for knife assault since it was set up by the Mayor, commissioned analysis by M & C Saatchi World Services, Nisien.Ai and Shout Out UK to better understand the role social media plays in violence and how misogyny online fuels violence off it. It found that young people do not seek out harmful content, but were still exposed to substantial amounts of violent and abusive content served up by algorithms.

Data was tracked across posts on X, previously known as Twitter, because it is the only social media platform providing location data. It’s widely acknowledged that X is not the main platform used by young people, but the research suggests that if the findings were this clear on one public platform, it’s likely to be compounded across platforms more routinely used by young people, such as Snapchat, TikTok and Instagram.

The research findings described social media as not simply a host for violent content, but a platform that amplified and accelerated the likelihood of conflict and pressure to respond physically.

Whilst the data analysis didn’t find a statistical link between violent content online and physical violence off it, the research also drew on focus groups formed of young people and youth workers who found there was an association that happens away from public platforms in group chats and across platforms with disappearing messages. 

Focus groups suggested fight videos, stabbing footage and threatening content is consumed as entertainment, meaning young people have a higher threshold for what is considered serious. 

Research did reveal a much clearer association between misogynistic content and violence against women and girls.

Misogynistic content included image-based abuse, sexual shaming, controlling relationship behaviour, and objectification of girls and young women circulated through group chats and algorithmically-recommended feeds. 

It also showed that whilst public events and high-profile figures did not create toxic online environments, they appeared to intensify it. The study mapped misogyny online against public moments like the UK women’s march, the Netflix release of Adolescence and the trial coverage of Andrew Tate, with police-recorded data. Whilst the research does not identify causation, the association suggests a connection between online misogyny and offline violence against women and girls.

The report found that risk of involvement in violence increased for young people with a greater dependence on the online world and without support off it from trusted adults. 

It suggests addressing safer platform design and focusing interventions on opportunities to slow the circulation of harmful content in the critical first 24-48 hours. It points to investment in digital youth work to provide support and to strengthen peer-led prevention which is often more influential than adults. 

The VRU’s approach sits alongside work the Mayor is leading through £6million investment in trialling new ways to support victims of tech-enabled VAWG, including those impacted by revenge porn, online harassment and AI deepfakes. It also supports his call for all sections of society to tackle the manosphere and the launch of his campaign earlier this year which helps boys and young men spot harmful content.  

The Mayor and the VRU are jointly calling on platforms routinely used by young people, including Tiktok, Instagram and Snapchat, to play a more active role by sharing data, insight and expertise, to better support young people online.

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said:

“I have consistently warned of the scourge of algorithms promoting hate, division and intentionally serving up both violent and misogynistic content to children and young people.

“Enough is enough. Online platforms must set out publicly how they will adjust algorithms or face the consequences. Our new research shows that platforms promote violent content when young people haven’t searched for it, and reveals an association between misogyny online and violence against women and girls. 

“My Violence Reduction Unit will coordinate a London-wide approach to tackling the scourge of online harms for young people, backed up with £5m investment to deliver a range of interventions. London is leading the way on this work and builds on the tech abuse conference I hosted earlier this year and funding to better protect victims of these crimes which forms part of my commitment to continue building a safer London for all.” 

Lib Peck, Director of London’s Violence Reduction Unit, said:

“The evidence we have published today once again exposes the undeniable influence that algorithms have in funnelling young people towards violent content.

“It not only shows that online content escalates violence, making it harder for young people to escape from, but for the first time it also shows the connection between misogyny online and violence happening to girls and women in London.

“We know that online harms are borderless, but their impact is felt locally. With the Mayor’s investment and support, we will work in partnership to develop and strengthen a city response to keep children and young people safe and so they are able to enjoy the positive opportunities online.”  

The Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime, Kaya Comer-Schwartz, said: “Supporting young Londoners to recognise dangerous online narratives and behaviour and protecting them from violent and extreme content has never been more important.

“London is leading the way in this work. This year we co-hosted an international conference at City Hall on tackling tech-enabled abuse to inform our pioneering work to support and protect victims of these crimes.

“This will build on the critical package of interventions that VRU is announcing today to equip and support young people to be safe online and part of the Mayor's wider commitment to reducing violence against women and girls to make Londoner safer for everyone.”   

Ana Babić, Associate Research Director, M&C Saatchi World Services: 

“What stayed with us whilst delivering this research was how clearly young people understand the world they're navigating. They described being served violent and misogynistic content they never asked for, the pressure that builds when a dispute goes public, and how hard it can be to step back once an audience is watching.

"If there's one message from this research, it's that young people are not the problem - they're an essential part of the solution. They told us that friends stepping in matters, that trusted adults matter, and that they want online spaces that work for them rather than against them.”

Will Gardner, CEO of Childnet International, said:

“In our work young people tell us they agree that change is needed and significantly more needs to be done to make social media and the wider online world a safe and positive space. We also see the impact that peer-led prevention and education can have in online safety, as well as the crucial role that parents, carers, and the adults in young people's lives play.  

“We welcome the investment in this space by the London Mayor and the VRU, and support the steps being taken to protect young people from online harms and violence.”

Janaya Walker, Interim Director of the End Violence Against Women Coalition (EVAW):

"We have always known there is a connection between our online and offline worlds - in reality, these boundaries have been blurred as we live much of our lives online. Even making such a distinction doesn't reflect the reality of young people’s lives. 

“There is a clear link between the proliferation of misogynistic content young people are being exposed to, and violence against women and girls. This content is shaping their attitudes and behaviours in respect of gender roles, sexual ethics and inequality. We welcome the funding announced today and the desperately needed attention being given to this space.”