Problems of ‘death groups’ in social networks and their criminal-legal solution

This article deals with the problems on combating death groups. Modern society lives in the period of development of information sphere, but crime does not stay aside, developing its skills in virtual reality. These changes in the criminal world put before the state an urgent task to ensure the safety of children on the Internet and protect them from harmful influences from the administrators of communities. With the emergence of information technologies in the adolescent environment, a new method of bullying – «cyberbullying» – appears and cases of suicide among minors have increased. The study specifies the types of suicides, provides statistics on the reasons influencing the active performance of suicidal actions by teenagers, and reveals the process of dragging children into «death groups». An analysis of changes in legislation from 2017-2023 is given, indicating the strengthening of the legal framework in the information sphere. However, new communities are already appearing in the ‘Internet’, which distribute prohibited content and introduce new rules of games that lead to bringing or inducing a minor to commit suicide, which emphasises the legal gaps. On the basis of analyses and study of all materials, the authors propose ways of solution, contributing to the elimination of probable new leaps on committing suicidal acts among minors, who were under the influence of new values of modern society and criminal intentions.