These criminal organizations operating through chat groups on online platforms mostly consist of young people between the ages of 12 and 20 and also target other young individuals.

”If a kid wanted to go out at night, we would object to the idea. However, nowadays children lock themselves in their rooms and experience more evil in their own houses than they would encounter outside,” psychotherapist Gökhan Ergür said.

These criminal groups, which have become increasingly widespread, capture pictures and videos of young individuals to use for blackmail, and they occasionally employ unlawful methods to obtain personal information.

Ergür noted that children involved in these malicious crimes often are on bad terms with their families and lack a social circle.

“They have no hope for the future. Thus, they strive for prestige and power,” he pointed out, noting that such online chat groups form a space for them to exercise authority.