Explainer: Gore Content and Violent Extremism

Graphic violence has always existed in media, but the accessibility of the internet has fundamentally changed how easily violent content can be accessed, shared, and reused—especially by young people. Today, children and teenagers can find free online content showing extreme violence within seconds. This type of content, referred to as “gore,” includes graphic, disturbing, and violent visual materials such as videos or images that depict serious injury, death, or other bodily harm. Such violent content often appears without context, is available despite safeguards for young viewers, and can be found on platforms and websites that lack ways to report users or content. Because of how this material is used and shared, gore content has become intertwined with online radicalization and violent extremism. As a result, gore content is especially dangerous for young people, and it can be used by bad actors, including extremists, as a desensitization tactic to normalize violence.