Sexual violence against children online: numbers rising dramatically

• 07/31/2025

Foto: UBSKM / ©Barbara Dietl.

More and more children and young people are being exposed to sexual violence on the internet. The latest figures from the 2024 German Police Crime Statistics (PKS) and new analyses by the Independent Commissioner for Child Sexual Abuse Issues (UBSKM) and jugendschutz.net show that the extent and forms of digital sexual violence continue to increase.

Recent studies from Germany show that one in three young people between the ages of 12 and 19 has already experienced sexual harassment on the internet (JIM Study 2023). These data are also supported by the recently published report from jugendschutz.net. According to this report, over 17,600 violations were documented online in 2024. Around 90 percent of these are related to sexualized violence against minors. Compared to previous years, this number has more than tripled.

According to Police Crime Statistics (PKS) for 2024, 42,854 cases of depictions of sexualized violence against children were recorded in Germany. This is a slight decrease compared to 2023, but the number remains high. It is particularly striking that more and more children and young people themselves possess or distribute child pornography —for example, in group chats or as part of abusive challenges. At the same time, many young people use digital spaces to discover or express their sexuality. According to Article 64 of UN General Comment No. 25 (GC25), children have the right to develop their identity (including their sexual identity) in the digital space, but must be protected from sexual violence. It is vital for adults to be aware that both rights can exist together and should be reinforced. This means taking both protection and self-determination seriously.

International perspective: A global problem

There has also been an increase in cases worldwide: according to the European Commission, the number of reports of sexualized violence against children online rose from one million in 2010 to almost 36 million in 2023.

A global meta-analysis by Childlight from 2024 shows that one in eight children worldwide has already been a victim of online grooming or the non-consensual distribution of intimate images. International reporting centers such as the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF), the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC), and Child Helpline International also document a continuous increase in cases.

Sexualized violence on the internet takes many forms. These include cybergrooming, which refers to adults deliberately contacting children with sexual intent, non-consensual sexting and blackmail with intimate images, the distribution of nude photos or images of sexualized violence, unwanted exposure to pornography or sexual content, encouraging self-promotion in front of the camera, and sexually harassing communication, especially on social networks. Artificial intelligence is also being used more and more frequently, for example to create sexualized deepfakes of minors. As recently published data from the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) shows, the number of confirmed reports of AI-generated child pornography images increased by 400 percent in the first six months of 2025 (January to June).

However, the terminology used to describe “sexualized violence against children online” is not consistent. Internationally, the term OCSAE (online child sexual abuse and exploitation) is often used. While some organizations focus narrowly on CSAM (child sexual abuse material) – i.e., the distribution and possession of images of sexualized violence – other definitions take a broader view of the term. These conceptual differences make international comparisons difficult, but they also highlight the diversity and complexity of the phenomenon. ECPAT International has attempted to standardize the terminology surrounding sexual violence with the Luxembourg Guidelines. These Guidelines were revised in the spring of this year.

Perspectives & Solutions

The available data clearly shows that the dangers of sexualized violence on the internet are rapidly increasing and perpetrators are becoming increasingly professional and technology-savvy. This makes it all the more urgent for various actors at the national and international level to address this problem consistently. Child protection in the digital space increasingly requires interdisciplinary cooperation. For example, the international network INHOPE emphasizes the importance of linking child protection and financial investigations: The aim is to identify overlaps between the depiction of sexualized violence against children (CSAM) and financial flows, close gaps in the existing system, and develop effective detection and control strategies.

Several companies and organizations provide technical solutions to remove such material from the internet as quickly as possible. One example is the “Take It Down” tool from the US organization NCMEC. This helps victims remove intimate images and videos that have been published without their consent from the internet. In Germany, too, there are contact points that offer support in removing images of sexualized violence.

It is also important to invest in prevention and protect young people from potential crimes. To make this possible, social media and platform operators should pursue a child rights-based approach. Children's rights to participation, privacy, and special protection also apply in the digital space, as the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child has stated in its General Comment No. 25 2021. These fundamental rights must be taken into account and reconciled with one another.

Event announcement:

A discussion on the topic of "Digital boundary violations – recognising and combating the exploitation of children and young people" is to be held in Berlin on 16 September 2025. During this discussion, the topic of sexualised violence against children online will be discussed in greater detail.

Further information can be found in our calendar of events.