Adults gain trust and ask for sexual images - often used for blackmail
Almost 200,000 teenagers in the UK have been persuaded by an adult on social media to send them content of a sexual nature. This is the result of a survey by the British child protection organization NSPCC .
“We are very concerned about the extent to which young people share sexual images, which leaves them vulnerable to exploitation. The perpetrators often use the images to obtain more through blackmail,”
writes the NSPCC.
Facebook and Snapchat in focus
For the survey, the experts representatively examined 2,004 test subjects between the ages of eleven and 17. The NSPCC asked young people about their use of social media.
It turned out that one test subject out of 25 had ever sent a sexual image to an adult, had been asked for such an image or had received sexual content themselves. Facebook and Snapchat are the platforms on which this happens most often.
“The level of risk young people face on social media cannot be ignored. Tackling them with a robust and comprehensive regime must be a priority for the government,”
says Peter Wanless, CEO of the NSPCC. Large technology companies need to pay more attention to suspicious behavior and take special measures to protect young people's social media accounts.
Source: press release
Article image: Shutterstock / Africa Studio
Notes:
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