The terrifying online community targeting kids
This Is Why
Sky News
4.0 • 552 Ratings
🗓️ 29 January 2026
⏱️ 23 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
An online network known as ‘The Com’ is targeting children and coercing them into acts of violence, self-harm and abuse.
A new report has revealed members – mostly aged between 11 and 25 – are groomed into hurting themselves or others to gain social status.
How worried should parents be and what are the signs your child might be involved?
Niall speaks to Sky’s Adele Robinson following her investigation into the online group.
WARNING: This report contains references to suicide, self-harm and sexual abuse which some may find distressing.
If you've been affected by this story, and are feeling emotionally distressed or suicidal, you can contact the Samaritans by emailing jo@samaritans.uk or jo@samaritans.ie
Producers: Soila Apparicio
Editor: Mike Bovill
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Sky News, the full story first. |
| 0:10.3 | Coming up on the daily, the online networks targeting your children. |
| 0:14.0 | The disturbing twist, many of those behind it, are kids themselves. |
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| 1:23.3 | I'll admit it. |
| 1:24.4 | The internet terrifies me, not least as I have a 10-year-old boy. |
| 1:28.2 | He doesn't get online unless I'm sitting right there next to him. |
| 1:31.8 | But that's not going to last forever, is it? |
| 1:33.8 | And once they're out of sight, what our children can stumble into or perhaps be pulled towards? |
... |
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