Prevalence and characteristics of online child sexual victimization: Findings from the Australian Child Maltreatment Study.

BACKGROUND

Online child sexual victimization is increasingly facilitated by technology, but evidence of its prevalence and characteristics remains scarce. Reliable population-based data is critical to understand the magnitude and nature of the problem, and inform evidence-based prevention.

OBJECTIVE

To determine the prevalence of nonconsensual sharing of sexual images of the child by any perpetrator, and of online sexual solicitation by any adult perpetrator; and to determine the characteristics of these experiences.

PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING

A nationally representative sample of 3500 individuals aged 16-24 years in Australia, comprising a sub-sample of participants in the Australian Child Maltreatment Study (ACMS).

METHODS

We administered the Juvenile Victimization Questionnaire-R2: Adapted Version (ACMS). Survey items captured self-reported information from participants about whether, before age 18, they had experienced nonconsensual sharing of sexual images of themselves by any perpetrator, and online sexual solicitation by an adult. Follow-up items generated information about the characteristics of these experiences. We generated weighted national prevalence estimates for each experience, and estimated chronicity (number of times the experience occurred), age at onset, and perpetrator characteristics.

RESULTS

National prevalence of nonconsensual sharing of sexual images of the child before age 18 was 7.6 % (95 % CI 6.6-8.6 %), and of online sexual solicitation by an adult was 17.7 % (95 % CI 16.3-19.2 %). Girls were significantly more likely than boys to experience both nonconsensual image sharing victimization (10.9 % v 3.8 %) and online sexual solicitation by an adult (26.3 % v 7.6 %) before age 18. Gender diverse individuals experienced higher online sexual solicitation (47.9 %), although cell sizes were small. Chronicity of online sexual solicitation (median: n = 5) was higher than nonconsensual image sharing victimization (median: n = 2). Median ages at onset were 15 (image sharing) and 14 (sexual solicitation). Most perpetrators of nonconsensual image sharing were other known adolescents (48.8 %) and adolescents who were current or former romantic partners (23.4 %), while perpetrators of online sexual solicitation were typically unknown adults (86.7 %).

CONCLUSIONS

Online childhood sexual victimization is widespread in Australia, especially for girls. Many children's experiences begin in middle childhood, and events are often chronic. Results can inform enhanced targeted prevention efforts.