Canadian teens report seeing gore and real-world violence on platforms including YouTube and TikTok
Recent disturbing reports in the news — a media personality livestreaming the aftermath of their self-harm, a deadly shooting in Montreal, and the assassination of political commentator Charlie Kirk — can be difficult to process, let alone see. But the reality is that videos showing this kind of shocking and distressing content are widely available, and indeed appearing in the social media feeds of many children in Canada.
A report co-authored by DIY: Digital Safety and the Canadian Centre for Child Protection (C3P) found that 85% of Canadian teens have been exposed to content showing violence and gore. This often happens on popular social media platforms, notably YouTube® and TikTok®.
These findings, based on a survey of more than 1,000 people aged 13–18 living in Canada, highlights how easily children can access graphic and disturbing content online, and raises concerns about the potential for repeated exposure to normalize violent behaviour.
What kinds of violence or gore are teens seeing?
Some of the most common forms of violence or gore teens reported encountering online include:
- Physical fights: Nearly three in four teens (73%) reported seeing videos of a physical fight. Some showed adults being beaten by a group of people, while others showed young people the teen viewer knows engaging in fights at school.
- Police violence: More than half of teens (63%) reported viewing content showing police or ICE shootings, or violent arrests.
- Sexual abuse material: Though less common, teens reported seeing the sexual abuse of both adults (13%) and children (10%). Some examples included sexual assault and bestiality.
This echoes what we’re seeing in youth reports to Cybertip.ca, where they report being exposed to graphic and violent content online. This includes content depicting child sexual abuse, self-harm, and suicide.
How are teens coming across this content?
Youth surveyed said they had seen this kind of content on YouTube (44%) and TikTok (42%). About one in three said they encountered it on Instagram® (31%) or Facebook® (28%).
Many teens said they encountered violent or gory content posted by strangers (39%) or recommended by social media algorithms (33%). An overwhelming number of teens (70%) said they want to see this content less than they do now. In other words, teens aren’t looking for this content — it’s finding them.
After viewing this material, many of the teens surveyed reported feeling upset or shocked, sometimes saying the experience had a lasting negative impact.
What can parents do to help protect their teen?
- Encourage open communication: Talk to your teen about what they see online. Creating an open line of communication may encourage them to go to you or another safe adult if they encounter content that makes them feel uncomfortable or unsafe.
- Enable parental controls: Setting parental controls, content filters, and establishing clear boundaries on device use — such as screen time limits, or turning off the Wi-Fi at night — can help reduce the risk of your teen being potentially exposed to harmful content online.
- Report the content: Flagging harmful content may help platforms and algorithms better identify material that shouldn’t be viewed by young users and could help remove, reduce, or restrict the likelihood that similar harmful content will continue to appear in their feeds.
- Share resources: If you or your child come across content online of sexual violence against children, you can report to Cybertip.ca or law enforcement. If your child has been victimized online and needs support, visit NeedHelpNow.ca.