Social media is putting children at risk of sexual abuse, finds research

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Social media platforms like Instagram and Snapchat offer benefits for teens but also can be used as a tool by predators online as about 7 per cent of more than 1,000 teens who disclosed sexual abuse reported that social media was used to facilitate the assault, a new study said on Friday.

The research, presented during the American Academy of Pediatrics 2024 National Conference & Exhibition, found that, when accounting only for victims whose perpetrators were not related to them, an even higher percentage - 12 per cent -- reported that social media facilitated sexual assault.

The team evaluated children 10 to 18 years of age who disclosed sexual abuse at Rady Children's Hospital Chadwick Center for Children and Families between 2018 and 2023.

They defined "social media facilitated sexual assault" as occurring when social media is used for communication between a victim and perpetrator that leads to sexual assault.

Miguel Cano, a child abuse paediatrician and author of the research, said that adolescents are increasingly living their lives in digital spaces.

"Although there are benefits to the use of social media such as connecting with people and keeping in touch with family and friends across the globe, there are many well documented dangers as well," Cano added.

According to the study, dangers include meeting strangers online or being subjected to various forms of maltreatment including emotional abuse, cyber bullying, harassment, threats, exposure to sexual content, and being victims of online sexual abuse.

Instagram and Snapchat were the two most commonly reported social media platforms used. However, multiple platforms were reported.

With few oversights and regulations, parents, paediatricians and anyone who cares for children need to understand this danger and need better tools and resources to help keep children safe from predators on social media, Cano stressed.

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