Extreme online violence targeting girls on the rise, Canadian Centre for Child Protection data shows

Winnipeg, Canada — Extreme online violence targeting primarily girls on social media is trending upward, alarming new data from the Canadian Centre for Child Protection (C3P) shows.

From June 2022 through the end of December 2025, Cybertip.ca and NeedHelpNow.ca — both operated by the C3P — have received 127 reports of extreme violence, the majority of which were made in the last 12 months. The table below shows the number of reports from the public by year:

* C3P began tracking these cases in June 2022

These reports contained information about 75 child victims, with girls accounting for 84% of victims (when the gender was known). Most child victims were teenagers, with the youngest being only 11 years old.

Details of the reports to Cybertip.ca and NeedHelpNow.ca reveal that this form of gender-based violence generally includes aggressive coercive tactics, such as threats to distribute intimate images, blackmail, and doxing in an attempt to force victims to engage in dangerous behaviours. The range of examples include:

• Self-harm (e.g., body mutilation, suicide attempts);
• Disordered eating behaviours (e.g., purging);
• Sexual and/or degrading acts (e.g., against themselves or to another child);
• Acts of violence (e.g., harming a pet).

As reflected in public advisories issued by the RCMP about violent online groups targeting youth, C3P records suggest offenders favour the communication platform Discord to victimize children. Discord has been cited in 80 reports related to extreme online sexual violence since 2022, making it the most cited platform based on C3P records.

“This new and horrific type of abuse we see unfolding is heartbreaking, and should concern all Canadians. These emerging forms of violence impacting girls and young women online are sadly deeply entrenched in our digital environments,” says Lianna McDonald, executive director of C3P.

“What we have said, and will continue to say, is that online services, especially those used by children, have a responsibility to take significant steps to ensure their platforms aren’t weaponized against their users,” says McDonald. “The gaps offenders exploit are so often known, and these online services have the ability to do so much more.”

C3P has long advocated for the creation of online safety regulations in Canada to ensure children can experience digital environments that do not facilitate or cause harm to them.

In response to these reports, C3P has provided direct support to nearly 60 children and parents, forwarded more than 110 reports to law enforcement, and issued nearly 40 notices to online platforms.