40% Surveyed say “It’s normal to share with each other”
Thorn Research is conducting an extensive study of youngsters from ages 9 through 17, and the results are alarming. Along with the rise of smartphones, kids today use them to engage in what’s referred to as SG-CSAM.
While CSAM (child sexual abuse material) has been a problem for years, detectives are now reporting that much of what they find is SG-CSAM (self-generated child sexual abuse material.) In other words, these sexual materials are being taken by the child themselves.
In some cases, they may be doing it to share with friends, while in other cases they may be doing it at the request of adults, either in or outside the family. In either case, the possibility for sextortion exists once the photos are shared.
The stats Thorn have discovered so far are alarming:
40% of teens think it’s normal to share nudes with each other
33% of teens have received or seen pictures shared without the person’s permission
60% of kids place at least some of the shame on the victim.
Parents and loved ones need to carefully consider how conversations about this problem are handled to prevent this from becoming a reality. You can read the article here or you can get the full report here:
