Young people interviewed for the study said that they usually came into contact with crime through people in their immediate surroundings. Sometimes, however, that existing network does not offer enough opportunities to commit an offence. Social media can then be used to make new contacts to carry out a crime. These are the main conclusions of the study by Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Erasmus University Rotterdam and the Netherlands Institute for the Study of Crime and Law Enforcement (NSCR). The study shows the role social media play in young people’s involvement in these forms of crime.
The research
Young people’s involvement in serious and organised crime is firmly on the political and policy agenda, partly because of recent reports about young people allegedly being approached via social media for serious violent and drug-related offences. To gain more insight into this, the researchers presented a questionnaire to 1,016 young people aged 16 to 27 from a youth panel and analysed messages in public Telegram groups. They also interviewed youth workers and young people who were involved in crime or at risk of becoming involved.
Eighty per cent had not been exposed to these kinds of calls
The findings show that eighty per cent of respondents had never seen calls on social media seeking people to commit a drug or violent offence. For one in five young people, however, this had happened. A smaller share of respondents, 6.1 per cent, said they had at some point been approached via social media for a drug- and/or violence-related job. These were relatively more often men under the age of 21.
Snapchat, TikTok and Instagram
The research shows that platforms such as Snapchat, TikTok and Instagram play a clear role in this. Snapchat in particular stands out as a channel through which young people are mainly approached for drug-related offences. These are often smaller and relatively easier jobs, such as retrieving and dealing drugs and placing heavy fireworks outside people’s homes. Interviews show that young people often do not know in advance what exactly the message means or what kind of job they are responding to. Calls on social media are often vague, and it is only in private messages that it becomes clear what is actually involved. In addition to posts seeking perpetrators for criminal activities, some respondents indicated that there are also people who offer themselves via social media to carry out crimes.
Exposure through the direct and indirect social network
Finally, most professionals and young people said that young people mainly become involved in crime gradually through their direct and indirect social network, such as family members, classmates and peers from the neighbourhood. Social media therefore seem primarily to expand and facilitate criminal opportunities for commissioners, intermediaries and motivated offenders alike. The researchers stress the importance of strengthening the digital resilience of both young people and professionals, while also taking a critical look at the role of technology companies.
You can find the research here.