Children are sexually abused online regularly, and the problem is only growing. Here’s what experts suggest

Educating children is an important step in preventing online sexual abuse, experts said. (SeventyFour/iStockphoto/Getty Images via CNN Newsource)

Researchers are calling for global action after finding that 1 in 12 kids are being exposed to sexual exploitation and abuse online, according to a new study.

“The study highlights the urgent need for increased awareness and action from the public and policymakers. Rapid advancements in digital technology and the growth of internet and smartphone access, particularly in developing nations, are putting more children at risk every day,” said lead author of the study Dr. Xiangming Fang, research associate professor of health policy and behavioral sciences at Georgia State University’s School of Public Health.

The report published Tuesday in the journal The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health looked at data from 123 studies between 2010 and 2023. Researchers then analyzed the number of children younger than 18 years old who were exposed to any of the subtypes of sexual abuse: online solicitation; online sexual exploitation; sexual extortion; and nonconsensual taking and sharing of and exposure to sexual images and videos.

Last year, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children and Homeland Security Investigations received more than 36 million reports of suspected child sexual exploitation of children, “to say nothing of the untold number of cases that are never reported,” said Kate Kennedy, director of the Know2Protect campaign of the Department of Homeland Security.

“The internet has become a crime scene, with children sexually exploited and abused online about ten times every second. It’s a global health emergency linked to poorer mental and physical health, reduced employment prospects and lower life expectancy,” Fang said in an email.

“But it’s preventable, not inevitable. Online (child sexual abuse) is more prevalent than other major childhood public health problems like asthma, obesity and ADHD — and we can protect children if we treat it in a similar way, as a public health problem with a focus on prevention.”

The online crime scene

Knowing what sexual abuse and exploitation online looks like can help in its prevention.

The researchers defined online sexual exploitation as sex acts being exchanged for money or resources. Those can be “food, clothes, shelter, affection, protection, belonging, gifts, or anything else of perceived value to the young person or child,” Fang said.

Online solicitation is sexual inquiries and long-term sexual conversations, which may lead to exchanging sexual pictures or videos, he said.

“It is important to note that the different types of online solicitation often come from peers as well as adult perpetrators,” Fang added.

Sexual extortion happens when a person blackmails another person for things including money, gift cards or other sexual acts by threatening to share intimate pictures or videos, according to the study.

And nonconsensual taking, sharing and exposure to sexual images can happen when images are captured when a child was intoxicated, distracted, unconscious or otherwise unable to consent, he said. Exploitation and abuse can also occur when a child’s face is imposed onto a sexual image of someone else (called a “deepfake”) or when a child is exposed to pornographic content.

“Unwanted exposure to sexual content also occurs frequently while surfing or scrolling through social media,” Fang said.

The use of AI-generated images, deepfakes and other technological advances has encouraged the rise of sexual extortion, exploitation and abuse, he said.

“Be in no doubt (these) are not harmless images: they are deeply damaging, and the abuse continues with every view and the failure to take down this abusive content,” Fang added.

Where to turn

Talking to children about their safety online is a crucial first step in protecting them from online sexual abuse, said Dr. Kara Alaimo, associate professor of communication at Fairleigh Dickinson University. She was not involved in the study.

“Kids are likely at greater risk of becoming victims if they aren’t educated about these dangers and how to protect themselves online, spend a lot of time online, and are unsupervised online,” she said.

When it comes to supervision, there are ways to keep an eye on your child’s safety while still allowing them some privacy, including a new feature on Instagram that gives parents access to who their child is communicating with while not sharing the content of the messages, said Alaimo, who is also the author of “Over the Influence: Why Social Media Is Toxic for Women and Girls — And How We Can Take It Back.”

Keep conversations about what’s going on online open with your children and limit their screen time so that they have other healthy things to do, such as going outside and spending time with their friends face to face, Alaimo said.

It’s also vital for families to let children know “that if they are targeted that they can always turn to them for support and to find a way out,” said first author of the study Dr. Deborah Fry, professor of international child protection research at the University of Edinburgh and global director of data for Childlight – Global Child Safety Institute.

And know that there are resources for you, too, if you find your child has been the victim of online sexual abuse, Alaimo added.

“If kids do become victims of online abuse,” she said, “parents should consider reaching out to law enforcement, groups such as the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children and Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN) and an attorney.”

By Madeline Holcombe, CNN