Dame Rachel de Souza, the Children’s Commissioner for England, has raised concerns regarding the online safety of young people, specifically highlighting their exposure to extremist material. In a recent statement, she argued that many children are becoming 'intoxicated' by violent content found on social media platforms, even when they do not necessarily subscribe to a coherent or traditional extremist ideology.

De Souza emphasized that the current safeguarding framework is insufficient to address this specific type of online harm. She suggested that the focus should shift toward identifying children who exhibit signs of fixation with violence early on, rather than waiting for them to align with established radical groups. The Commissioner’s comments come amid ongoing debates regarding the responsibility of social media companies to moderate content and protect minors from harmful algorithms. While the Commissioner did not name specific platforms, her call for action highlights a growing concern among child welfare advocates about the psychological impact of digital environments on youth development. The proposal suggests a need for a more nuanced approach to intervention that addresses the behavioral patterns of children who are drawn to violent imagery online.