LKA President Massinger warns: Dangers for children in gaming!

LKA President Massinger warns: Dangers for children in gaming!

A fresh wind is blowing through the Lower Saxony State Criminal Police Office (LKA). Thorsten Massinger, the new president since May 2025, has set himself a big goal: addressing and raising awareness among young people in digital spaces, especially on gaming platforms. Loud n-tv Children and young people are often victims of offensive statements, psychological violence and sexual abuse on the Internet. To counteract this, Massinger is planning an increased digital presence for the police.

As part of a pilot project, a team from the Hanover Police Department has been streaming on the popular Twitch platform since the end of 2024. Here you can not only play video games, but also communicate directly with the community, answer questions and provide information about important topics such as stalking. According to Massinger, around 2.5 to 4 million users are active on Twitch every day, making the platform an ideal place to educate.

Dangers on the Internet

“It is important to us to also raise awareness among parents,” emphasizes Massinger. The main focus is on the risks posed by Internet challenges and the radicalization of young people, which is often associated with right-wing extremist symbols. This issue is urgent because children and young people are increasingly being targeted by manipulative online groups, drawing them into dangerous cycles of threats and blackmail. Loud BKA Such critical situations can have extremely bad consequences, including suicide or criminal acts.

Such online groups, also called “Com”, use platforms to specifically address mentally disturbed children and young people between the ages of 8 and 17. The perpetrators themselves often act at a young age and gradually manipulate their victims in order to gain power and recognition. This often happens through targeted approaches, including in the context of cybergrooming - a serious threat to young people, which, according to a 2024 survey by the North Rhine-Westphalia State Media Authority, has already affected 25% of children and young people.

What can parents do?

Parents and confidants are required to closely monitor their children's behavior online. Warning signs such as sudden social withdrawal, extreme online time or unexplained gifts should not be ignored. We recommend open communication and seeking medical or psychological support if abnormalities become apparent. If there are any suspected cases, the police should be informed and, in acutely dangerous situations, the emergency number 110 should be dialed.

The LKA Lower Saxony, with around 1,300 employees the central office for combating crime in the state, has set itself the task of increasing awareness of digital crime with various initiatives. The Hanover Police Department is a pioneer in Germany with its streaming campaign on Twitch. Taking action on these popular platforms could be the key to protecting the next generation from digital threats and bringing policing closer to young people.

The topics addressed here are explosive and enlightening at the same time. After all, these are the questions that will not go out of fashion for a long time.