More than a quarter of adolescent girls in Australia have been sexually propositioned online.
New research, released by eSafety, found 26.3 percent of girls had experienced online sexual solicitation by an adult before turning 18, often as young as age 11.
eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant said the new data showed online sexual solicitation often began at an early age, with 80 percent of targets saying it started by age 15 and 25 percent reporting it began before age 12.
“Alarmingly, 86.7 percent of perpetrators were total strangers, underscoring the risks posed by anonymous online interactions,” Ms Inman Grant said.
She said, overall, 17.7 percent of all children and young people surveyed had experienced online sexual solicitation by an adult, with girls facing a significantly higher risk compared to boys (7.6 percent).
“The study also confirmed the non-consensual sharing of sexual images is a widespread problem, with 7.6 percent of children and young people reporting this had happened to them.”
Ms Inman Grant said girls were disproportionately targeted, with 10.9 percent experiencing this harm, compared to 3.8 percent of boys.
She said among those affected, 65 percent said incidents began by age 15, and 15 percent before age 12.
“Nearly half (48.8 percent) of perpetrators were romantic partners under 18, while 23.4 percent were other adolescents outside of relationships.”
Ms Inman Grant said the results reaffirmed the importance of taking a holistic approach children’s safety online, urging parents and carers to seek help and advice available on the eSafety website.
“Prevention is just as important as enforcement. The best way to protect children is through open and ongoing conversations about online risks and by playing an active role in their online lives.
“Parents and carers play a unique and vital role in helping children recognise potential dangers and build digital resilience, and eSafety seeks to empower and enable these important conversations.”
