The Memetic Violence Field Guide: Terms, Symbols, and Phrases in Violent Online Subcultures

This field guide is one of ADL's many resources on signs, symbols, and codes, including the Hate on Display™ Hate Symbols Database, the Antizionist Hate Resource, and the Coded Hate Resource.

COE's Memetic Violence Field Guide explains some of the popular terms, references, and images used in online communities that glorify mass violence and extremist killings to signal transgression and belonging, sometimes referred to as nihilistic violent extremism (NVE). These include the True Crime Community, the 764/Com network, gore forums, and other related digital networks. 

This Field Guide documents symbols, language, and imagery associated with online radicalization, coercion networks, and extremist violence. Entries include descriptions of self-harm, exploitation, and graphic content intended to inform researchers, educators, parents, and platform safety teams. Some entries include images that are blurred by default and require you to click to view. Viewer discretion is advised.