Extremism SITREP: Nihilistic Violent Extremism
Authors: Cian Lacson, Daria Alexe, Archie Archie, Isiah Rapirap, Zuzanna Rejniak & Felicity Kannu
Editor: Ksenia Luzhko
On 8 July, 19-year-old Alexis Chavez was sentenced to 40 years in prison for running ‘8884’, an online group that coerced children into self-harm and sexual abuse. Rather than an isolated case, 8884 operates as a subsidiary of '764’, an online network that recruits vulnerable youth in nihilistic violent extremism (NVE), a decentralised movement built on a hatred of society and the pursuit of chaos that has spread across platforms.
This extremism report examines the NVE ecosystem and the tactics it uses to recruit and exploit minors across online platforms. It assesses the networks’ reach and engagement, evaluates the associated risks and provides recommendations to mitigate them.