A few months later, she came to understand that he had become deeply influenced by predatory online networks that encourage vulnerable people, especially minors, to harm themselves and others. Dana, Elliott’s mother, said that when she gave him his iPhone, she took precautions that she thought would be sensible. “They want to sow chaos and facilitate the destruction of society.” The agency shared that it is pursuing at least 250 investigations tied to violent online networks. It wasn’t until the next morning that Dana began to learn about the violent online networks that apparently were influencing her son. Violent online networks encourage victims to view this content, to desensitize them to shocking and inhumane behavior.