Media release

From: The Lancet

The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health: One in 12 children globally exposed to online sexual exploitation or abuse, study suggests

One in 12 children (8.1%) globally are exposed to at least one form of online sexual exploitation or abuse, confirms a study published in The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health journal. The   (12.6%) and online solicitation (12.5%), making those the most common forms of online child victimization.

Online child sexual exploitation and abuse (OCSEA) is a global public health issue that is rapidly escalating due to fast-paced development and access to social media and other virtual contexts. It refers to a range of sexually abusive and exploitative behaviours that occur either online or through the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs), including online solicitation, online grooming, exposure to pornography, unwanted or pressured sexting, image-based abuse, sexual extortion, and sexual exploitation.

The current study is the first systematic review and meta-analysis aimed at better understanding the global prevalence and nature of OCSEA. By analysing the results of 123 previously conducted studies between 2010 and 2023, the prevalence of four broader OCSEA subtypes was estimated, finding that one in eight children were affected by image-based abuse (12.6%) and online solicitation (12.5%), one in 21 were affected by online sexual exploitation (4.7%), and one in 28 were affected by sexual extortion (3.5%). However, the authors highlight the variation in estimates among available evidence and for different regions, suggesting that more research is needed to draw stronger conclusions about the scale of OCSEA, specifically in regions where the current evidence is either limited or non-existent, i.e. the Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia.

The authors say their results are of great relevance to policymakers, practitioners, and researchers to make informed decisions about allocating resources and designing effective prevention and response programmes to protect children worldwide from OCSEA.