According to a recent study, every 1 in 8 children has been exposed to sharing sexual images without permission.

Recent research by the University of Edinburgh has shed light on a critical and alarming issue affecting children globally.

sexual abuse
Image Source: Edinburgh Impact

The study, part of the university's Childlight Global Child Safety Institute initiative, has revealed shocking statistics related to online sexual abuse and exploitation of children. Key findings from the research indicate that approximately 302 million children, which accounts for 12.6% of the world's children, have been victims of non-consensual taking, sharing, and exposure to sexual images and videos in the past year. Additionally, a similar percentage of children (12.5%) have faced online solicitation, including unwanted sexual talk and requests for sexual acts.

Addressing the Global Crisis of Online Child Sexual Abuse

The research also highlighted different types of offenses, such as sextortion, where predators demand money from victims to keep images private, and the use of AI technology to create manipulated sexually explicit videos and pictures known as deepfakes.

Geographically, the study revealed that in the United States, around 14 million men (7%) admitted to online offenses against children. In Britain, 1.8 million men (7%) confessed to similar crimes, equivalent to filling Wembley Stadium 20 times. In Australia, 7.5% of men reported offending against children online.

The global impact of online child sexual abuse is profound, with child abuse material being reported to watchdog and policing organizations approximately once every second. This issue has been described as a "global health pandemic" due to its widespread prevalence and exponential growth.

sexual abuse
Image Source: Edinburgh Futures Institute

The severity of the content is evident in the statistics provided by the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF), which reported investigating a record 392,660 cases of suspected child abuse imagery in the last year, a 5% increase from 2022. Additionally, around 54,250 websites contained the most severe form of abuse, known as Category A.

Experts, including Paul Stanfield, CEO of Childlight, and Debi Fry, a professor of international child protection, have emphasized the urgent need for global intervention to address this crisis as a public health issue that can be prevented. The research also highlighted the concerning trend of criminal gangs in West Africa and Southeast Asia targeting British teenagers with sextortion scams, leading to severe consequences.

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