Friday 14 October 2022 06:10 PM A shocking 16% of kids have suffered online sex abuse, and predatory adults are ... trends now
A study has lifted the lid on online child sex abuse in modern-day America, showing that nearly 16 percent of minors have been pressured into everything from sexting to taking sexual photos of themselves and sharing them over the internet.
Research from the University of New Hampshire in Durham shows significantly higher rates of online child abuse than were uncovered by past studies, which indicated rates of between 5-12 percent.
As well as worrying numbers of children being groomed online by adult predators (5.4 percent), the study also revealed other types of abuse — such as non-consensual sexting and revenge porn — linked to peers and even dating partners.
It comes amid revelations of adults, including teachers, in New York, Kansas, and Florida, abusing children via the internet, and of youths being coerced into depraved acts by groomers on online games like Fortnite.
Speaking with DailyMail.com, child safety expert David Finkelhor, who led the research, said the findings should sound alarm bells and prompt parents to guide children about online safety and healthy relationships.
A University of New Hampshire in Durham study has revealed that 15.6 percent of children have experienced online sexual abuse — some 11.5 million youths
David Finkelhor, a child safety expert at the University of New Hampshire in Durham, calls kids the 'most crime victimized demographic'
'They need to know some of the signs about which partners and friends are trustworthy,' said Finkelhor, a sociologist who heads the college's Crimes Against Children Center.
'They need to know the kinds of manipulations that can lead them into intimacy that they may regret. They need to know why relationships with older partners are illegal and don't work out.'
For his study, Finkelhor asked 2,639 participants aged 18 to 28 about their online experiences when they were aged under 19, focussing on 11 types of online sexual abuse. They broadly reflected the demographics of contemporary America.
It revealed a
