Sheffield boy arrested over 'concerning' social media posts
It comes after a recent trend of posts, often using AI, encouraging school children to engage in violence
Last updated 11th Mar 2026
A 13 year old boy has been arrested in connection with posts made on social media encouraging school kids to engage in violent behaviour.
The teenager - from Sheffield - is currently in Police custody.
South Yorkshire Police say it's as part of their on going investigation into a national social media trend.
Inspector Katie Hammond said:
"We know how worried parents, families, staff and pupils have been since these social media posts started appearing here in South Yorkshire and we have provided support and reassurance to our local schools and communities through a high-visibility presence and increased patrols.
"Behind the scenes we have also been actively monitoring social media and carrying out intelligence checks, and doing all we can to track down the accounts responsible and shut them down. We are taking this matter seriously and are doing everything in our power to deal with it swiftly and robustly.
"I believe the overwhelming majority of children here in South Yorkshire understand this trend is reckless and irresponsible, and not at all reflective of the real, positive relationships which exist between our educational establishments, young people and communities."