1 in 12 children globally subject to online sexual abuse: Lancet study

About one in every 12 children around the world were subjected to online sexual abuse in the past year, according to a study published in The Lancet Child and Adolescent Health journal.

Researchers from the University of Edinburgh, UK, and China Agricultural University reviewed 123 studies conducted between 2010 and 2023, and found that one in eight children globally are affected by image-based sexual abuse on the internet.

Roughly the same number were found to be subjected to 'online solicitation' -- being persuaded into sexual activity or exposure.

"One in 12 children globally have been subjected to at least one form of online sexual exploitation or abuse in the past year," the authors wrote.

However, in regions, including South Asia, where current evidence is either limited or non-existent, the team called for more research.

"East Asia, North Africa and the Middle East, and South Asia are lacking prevalence data; these regions constitute a large percentage of the global population of children so there is an urgent need for research at a national level in these regions," they wrote.

The findings pointed "to the need for increased legislation and primary prevention efforts to keep children safe".

Aimed to understand the prevalence and nature of online child sexual abuse and exploitation, the study identified four subtypes -- online sexual exploitation (4.7 per cent global prevalence), and sexual extortion (3.5 per cent), in addition to image-based and solicitation.

Further, the researchers found "no significant difference between the experiences of girls and boys with respect to online sexual victimisation from representative surveys", in contrast to previous evidence suggesting girls being more vulnerable than boys.

The authors proposed that changes in online environments may have increased victimisation rates for boys. They added that previous definitions of sexual exploitation involving 'contact' do not hold true for online environments.