New Delhi: A new meta-analysis published in The Lancet, Child and Adolescent Health, revealed that one in 12 children globally is exposed to online child sexual exploitation and abuse (OCSEA), a figure exacerbated by the rapid growth and accessibility of social media. Researchers warn this is an escalating public health crisis driven by “accessibility, affordability, and anonymity.”
The US National Center for Missing and Exploited Children’s CyberTipline received over 3.2 million reports of suspected child exploitation in 2023. The UK’s NSPCC also reports an 89 per cent rise in online grooming cases over six years, with over 7,000 offences recorded in the last financial year.
OCSEA encompasses various forms of abuse, including online grooming, unwanted sexting, exposure to pornography, and sexual extortion. The study found image-based abuse and online solicitation were most prevalent, affecting one in eight children. One in 21 experienced online sexual exploitation, and one in 28 faced sexual extortion.
“This finding differs from previous studies, which have highlighted that girls might experience child sexual exploitation and abuse more than boys,” the researchers added.
Contrary to previous research, the study found no significant difference in OCSEA prevalence between boys and girls. The researchers acknowledge the difficulty in estimating the full extent of the problem due to the rapid evolution of social media. Their analysis included 123 studies in multiple languages, finding the highest prevalence of image and video-based abuse in Europe, followed by Australasia.
“These data highlight [online child sexual exploitation and abuse] is prevalent in every country where it is measured—pointing to the need for increased legislation and primary prevention efforts to keep children safe,” the researchers said.
“The findings also point to the range of ways in which [it] can occur, with specific implications for improving safety by design and regulation of online environments to ensure they are safe for children.”
Recommendations include educating children, parents, carers, and educators about online risks. The NSPCC calls for stronger implementation of the Online Safety Act and greater responsibility from tech companies in designing safer online environments.
“The growing scale of online grooming is deeply alarming. Last year, there were over 7,000 online grooming offences recorded by police in the UK, an 89 per cent increase from when the offence was first introduced in 2017,” Rani Govender, policy manager for child safety online at the NSPCC said.
“We know that private messaging platforms are frequently exploited by offenders to target young people, because services have failed to put in place the safeguards children need and deserve.
“Online grooming can have a lifelong impact on victims and survivors. That’s why it’s vital that the Online Safety Act is implemented with greater ambition and urgency to address this growing crisis. Ofcom must strengthen its approach to ensure tech companies design their platforms responsibly, focusing on the prevention and detection of harm and abuse.”
