Predictors of online child sexual exploitation through image-sharing
This research, conducted in 2021, surveyed 1,349 Australian children aged 14 to 17 to find out how many had experienced online child sexual exploitation in the previous year. This included:
- solicitation of sexual images (being pressured by someone to send them sexual pictures or videos)
- non-consensual resharing of inappropriate private images.
Summary of key findings
The research found that more than 1 in 10 (11%) children had been pressured to share sexual images in the previous year, while 6.5% had their private images non-consensually reshared in the previous year.
Certain children were more likely to have had these experiences, for example:
- girls were almost three times more likely than boys to be pressured for sexual images online
- children with more experiences of online bullying or more online sexual experiences (such as sharing naked pictures or videos of themselves) were more likely to have been pressured for sexual images or had their images non-consensually reshared
- younger children and those with lower digital literacy were more likely to have had their images non-consensually reshared online.
These findings support the need for prevention and intervention activities to reduce the prevalence of sexual image solicitation and non-consensual resharing of private images online. The results suggest that interventions need to take a gendered approach, recognising that the risks of online victimisation are different for girls compared with boys.
About the research
The research was a joint project between eSafety and the Royal Ottawa Health Care Group. It was led by Professor Michael Seto, an expert in the field of research on child sexual exploitation. The study draws on data from a wider research project conducted by eSafety between August and September 2021.
The study and its findings are described in detail in a freely-accessible paper published in Child Protection and Practice.
Stay up to date
Sign up to receive the latest research releases and updates from eSafety.
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.
eSafety’s Young People section: useful information to help children and teens stay safe online.