Online requests to arrange or assist with sexual images or information about children
A small but substantial number of adults in Australia have received online requests to help with child sexual exploitation, according to eSafety research.
This research surveyed 4,011 adults in Australia to find out how many had received online requests to arrange or assist with the sexual exploitation of children they had access to. The survey investigated four types of facilitated child sexual exploitation, which are:
- being asked for sexual images of children
- being pressured for sexual images of children
- being asked questions of a sexual nature about children
- being offered payment for sexual images of children.
Summary of key findings
The research found:
- 2.8% of adults surveyed had received a request for facilitated child sexual exploitation in the past 12 months
- adults who had shared photos of or information about children publicly online were more likely to have received a request for facilitated child sexual exploitation (6.6%), compared with adults who had shared photos privately (0.9%) or not at all (0.6%)
- among adults who had shared photos of or information about children publicly online, men, younger adults, adults who spoke a language other than English at home, adults with disability, and adults who had experienced other online harms were more likely to have received a request for facilitated child sexual exploitation.
About this research
This research draws on data from eSafety’s ‘Australian Adults Online’ survey, conducted from November 2022 to January 2023. Following completion of the larger survey, 4,011 adults living in Australia were surveyed to measure the extent and nature of online requests to arrange or assist with child sexual exploitation.
The findings suggest that a substantial number of Australians may be being approached online with requests for facilitated child sexual exploitation every year. The findings highlight the need for increased awareness of the potential harms of posting photos of and information about children publicly online. Online platforms should be responsible for warning users of these potential harms.
The study and its findings are described in detail in a freely-accessible paper published in Trends and issues in crime and criminal justice.
Helpful resources
Child sexual abuse online: advice and links to information about protecting children from sexual abuse online, including for health, social and community sector workers.
Protecting children from sexual abuse online: information for parents and carers, including advice on sharing photos and videos of children.
Keeping children safe online in communities: resources for organisations, services and practices to help prevent and handle online risks and harms, while improving online safety among families.