"Szon patrol" under the eye of the Ombudsman of Children's Rights. "Dangerous consequences"

The “Szon patrol” trend involves setting up social media profiles, channels and groups where minors — mostly girls — are judged and categorized in a way that leads to public ridicule.

The word “shon” is utilized to brand young people due to appearance, dress or behaviour, resulting in exclusion in a peer-represented environment.

Monika Horna-Cieślak, spokeswoman of the rights of the child, expressed concern about the possible dramatic consequences of specified actions. She pointed out that the mechanisms behind "Szon patrol" could lead to serious intellectual consequences for the youngest net users.

Office of the Ombudsman for Children's Rights on the Internet

The RPD office has already taken initiatives to fight hatred on the Internet. In a general message of 28 June 2025 addressed to the Minister of Justice and the Minister of Digital Affairs Monika Horna-Cieślak stressed that the issue of hate, especially towards children, was 1 of the most severe problems in the digital environment. The spokeswoman pointed out that hatred should not stay unresponsive and requires decisive action.

In her latest appeal, the Spokeswoman of Children's Rights asked managers Meta and TikTok to monitor the situation and all manifestations of the “Szon patrol” trend. She stressed that it was essential that this phenomenon should not be established or developed and that action was so needed to limit its scope and possible negative effects. She besides called for preventive action in situations where published content can lead to stigmatisation, peer force or suicide attempts.

The RPD Bureau announces further monitoring and improvement of the phenomenon, stressing that the issue is developmental and requires constant attention from all entities liable for the safety of children on the Internet.