Following the cancellation of To Catch a Predator in 2007 and the spread of conspiracy theories about "grooming" and child sex trafficking on the internet, several vigilante groups were established in the United States. NBC News identified 30 groups in 2019, and subsequent research by the Washington Post found 160. A 2024 investigation by USA Today reported that such groups have operated in about three-quarters of the United States.
The typical procedures of anti-pedophile vigilante groups include posing as a minor on social media in order to lure an adult into a real-life confrontation, where they would be interrogated by the vigilantes. Such interrogations have often included heated exchanges, some of which have culminated into arguments and threats. When not enough remorse is shown, vigilantes have commonly threatened to call their target's wives or employers. If the target attempts to run away, they are followed to their homes by the vigilantes.
University of Winnipeg cultural criminologist Steven Kohm stated in 2019 that anti-pedophile vigilante groups have sought to restore the more emotional, punitive and participatory nature that the American criminal justice system had 100 years prior. He stated that their sense of mistrust in authority is analogous to that of conspiratorial campaigns such as QAnon and Pizzagate, among others. Kohm described those groups as having "a mob-justice vigilante mentality".
In popular culture, groin attacks are viewed as erotic in the context of some sexual activities, including cock and ball torture and pussy torture.
Groin attacks on men are the most widely known and have been popularized as comedy in popular culture. They are sometimes shown as causing men to speak in a falsetto or soprano register. They may also be shown going cross-eyed and moaning and groaning.
Groin attacks on men are also the subject of an Internet meme where they are commonly called "nutshots." They have been featured in practical joke videos online. The meme sometimes involves an accidental and comedic injury to the groin, usually as a result of falling or being struck by an object.
Groin attacks on women are depicted less often and as having the same effect as a blow to anywhere else (or occasionally no effect at all). They are sometimes called "cunt-punts."
Effects
Further information: Pelvic fracture and Genital trauma
The testicles lack anatomical protection and are highly sensitive to impact. In extreme cases, a blow can cause one or both of the testicles to rupture, potentially resulting in sterility.
The clitoris is highly sensitive to impact as it has more nociceptive pain nerve endings than the testicles, making injuries especially painful. This type of injury is rare in females, however, as the clitoris is not likely to be struck due to its much smaller size, in combination with its location. It is common in combat sports and athletic events.
