Danish children and youth involved in violent NVE networks, warn organizations

Danish organizations and a national hotline report that children and youth in Denmark are participating in or being targeted by violent NVE networks, according to public broadcaster DR.

NVE, short for nihilistic violent extremism, refers to loosely organized online communities where minors are exposed to manipulation, blackmail, and psychological control. Victims are coerced into self-harm, sharing explicit material, or committing abuses against others.

Red Barnet’s SletDet advisory service has handled five cases in 2025 and 2026 linked to NVE environments. Mia Lind Winther, a psychologist and head of the service, warns the problem may be more widespread than currently known.

“There is unfortunately a risk that this network is more prevalent than we are currently aware of,” she said. “We believe this is a network we should be very concerned about, and there is a risk we will see an increase in related cases.”

Børns Vilkår, another child welfare organization, has received reports through its helplines describing online groups pressuring minors to self-harm, film it, and share the footage—or coercing them into blackmailing other youth. Melissa Vardy, a digital media expert at the organization, notes that such cases often involve very young individuals exploiting peers.

“It’s very young people targeting other young people—one youth blackmailing another, forcing them to film themselves cutting names or something into their skin, or painting with blood on walls,” she said.

The National Hotline for Radicalization has also seen a rise in inquiries related to NVE networks over the past year, involving children as young as 10 displaying violent fascinations, such as harming animals, sexual abuse, or self-harm.

Kenneth Schmidt Hansen, head of the Center for Documentation and Intervention Against Extremism, which supports the hotline, expresses deep concern, noting that these networks are no longer confined to the dark web but are appearing on mainstream social platforms.

“Previously, you had to go to the dark web to find this kind of thing, but now it’s emerging on more or less ordinary social platforms,” he said.

Discord is frequently cited as a common platform in these cases, according to the organizations.