Abuse via Technology

• Approximately 1 in 7 (13%) youth Internet users received unwanted sexual solicitations. ^[8]
• 9% of youth Internet users had been exposed to distressing sexual material while online. ^[8]
• Predators seek youths vulnerable to seduction, including those with histories of sexual or physical abuse, those who post sexually provocative photos/videos online, and those who talk about sex with unknown people online. ^[10]
• 1 in 25 youths received an online sexual solicitation in which the solicitor tried to make offline contact. ^[10]
• In more than one-quarter (27%) of incidents, solicitors asked youths for sexual photographs of themselves. ^[10]
• The most common first encounter of a predator with an Internet-initiated sex crimes victim took place in an online chat room (76%). 16
• In nearly half (47%) of the cases involving an Internet-initiated sex crimes victim, the predator offered gifts or money during the relationship-building phase. ^[16]
• Internet-based predators used less deception to befriend their online victims than experts had thought. Only 5% of the predators told their victims that they were in the same age group as the victims. Most offenders told the victims that they were older males seeking sexual relations. ^[16]
• 15% of cell-owning teens (12–17) say they have received sexually suggestive nude/seminude images of someone they know via text. ^[11]
• Girl laying on the grass looking up at a cell phone
• Of respondents to a survey of juvenile victims of Internet-initiated sex crimes, the majority met the predator willingly face-to-face and 93% of those encounters had included sexual contact. ^[16]
• 72% of teenagers and young adults believe that digital abuse is something that should be addressed by society. ^[16]
• 11% of teenagers and young adults say they have shared naked pictures of themselves online or via text message. Of those, 26% do not think the person whom they sent the naked pictures to shared them with anyone else. ^[20]
• 26% of teenagers and young adults say they have participated in sexting (12 different forms of sexting were examined), a 6% decline since 2011. ^[20]
• Nearly 40% of young people in a relationship have experienced at least one form of abuse via technology. A large majority (81%) say they rarely or never feel their significant other uses technology to keep tabs on them too often. ^[20]

Sources

1. “Child Sexual Abuse: What Parents Should Know,” American Psychological Association. (http://www.apa.org/pi/families/resources/child-sexual-abuse.aspx) (February 19, 2014)
2. Douglas, E., and D. Finkelhor, Childhood Sexual Abuse Fact Sheet, Crimes Against Children Research Center, May 2005. (http://www.unh.edu/ccrc/factsheet/pdf/childhoodSexual AbuseFactSheet.pdf) (December 21, 2011)
3. Finkelhor, D., “The Prevention of Childhood Sexual Abuse,” Future of Children, 2009, 19(2):169–94.
4. Kilpatrick, D., R. Acierno, B. Saunders, H. Resnick, C. Best, and P. Schnurr, “National Survey of Adolescents,” Charleston, SC: Medical University of South Carolina, National Crime Victims Research and Treatment Center, 1998.
5. “Sexual Assault of Young Children as Reported to Law Enforcement: Victim, Incident, and Offender Characteristics,” U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2000.
6. “National Crime Victimization Survey,” U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics, 1996.
7. Silverman, J. G., A. Raj, L. A. Mucci, and J. E. Hathaway, “Dating Violence Against Adolescent Girls and Associated Substance Use, Unhealthy Weight Control, Sexual Risk Behavior, Pregnancy, and Suicidality,” Journal of the American Medical Association, 2001, Vol. 286 (No. 5).
8. Wolak, J., K. Mitchell, and D. Finkelhor, “Online Victimization of Youth: Five Years Later,” National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, 2006. (http://www.missingkids.com/en_US/publications/NC167.pdf) (December 21, 2011)
9. “Child Maltreatment 2012,” U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Administration on Children, Youth and Families, Children’s Bureau.
10. Wolak, Janis, David Finkelhor, Kimberly J. Mitchell, and Michele L. Ybarra, “Online ‘Predators’ and Their Victims: Myths, Realities, and Implications for Prevention and Treatment.” American Psychologist, 2008, 63:111–128. (http://www.unh.edu/ccrc/pdf/Am%20Psy%202-08.pdf) (December 21, 2011)
11. Lenhart, Amanda, “Teens and Sexting.” Pew Internet & American Life Project, December 15, 2009. (http://www.pewinternet.org/Reports/2009/Teens-and-Sexting.aspx) (December 21, 2011)
12. Kilpatrick, Dean G., Ph.D., Heidi S. Resnick, Ph.D., Kenneth J. Ruggiero, Ph.D., Lauren M. Conoscenti, M.A., and Jenna McCauley, M.S., “Drug-Facilitated, Incapacitated, and Forcible Rape: A National Study,” July 2007. (https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/219181.pdf) (December 21, 2011)
13. Truman, Jennifer l., Ph.D., BJS Statistician, “National Crime Victimization Survey 2010,” U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Statistics, September 2011. (http://bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov/content/pub/pdf/cv10.pdf) (December 21, 2011)
14. Canadian Centre for Child Protection Inc., “Child Sexual Abuse–It Is Your Business.” p.10. (https://www.cybertip.ca/pdfs/C3P_ChildSexualAbuse_ItIsYourBusiness_en.pdf) (November 1, 2012)
15. The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, “Sex and Tech–Results From a Survey of Teens and Young Adults.” (http://www.unh.edu/ccrc/pdf/CV71.pdf) November 11, 2010
16. Truman, J., L. Langton, and M. Planty, “Criminal Victimization 2012,” U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Statistics, October 2013. (http://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/cv12.pdf) (February 19, 2014)
17. “NISVS: An Overview of 2010 Summary Report Findings,” Centers for Disease Control, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Division of Violence Prevention. (http://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/pdf/cdc_nisvs_overview_insert_final-a.pdf) (February 19, 2014)
18. Finkelhor, D., and L. Jones, “Have Sexual Abuse and Physical Abuse Declined Since the 1990s?” Crimes Against Children Research Center, University of New Hampshire. (November 1, 2012)
19. Tompson, T., J. Benz, and J. Agiesta, “The Digital Abuse Study: Experiences of Teens and Young Adults,” AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, October 2013. (http://www.apnorc.org/PDFs/Digital%20Abuse/AP-NORC%20Center%20and%20MTV_Digital%20Abuse%20Study_FINAL.pdf) (February 19, 2014)
20. Allnock, D., “Children and Young People Disclosing Sexual Abuse: An Introduction to the Research,” Child Protection Research Department NSPCC Fresh Start. April 2010. (http://www.nspcc.org.uk/Inform/research/briefings/children_disclosing_sexual_abuse_pdf_wdf75964.pdf) (June 16, 2014)
21. Banks, D., and T. Kyckelhahn, “Characteristics of Suspected Human Trafficking Incidents, 2008–2010,” Characteristics of Suspected Human Trafficking Incidents Series, Bureau of Justice Statistics, April 2011. (http://www.bjs.gov/index.cfm?ty=pbdetail&iid=2372) (June 16, 2014)