By Kerry Gallagher
Online child sexual abuse takes many forms. It is no longer limited to our traditional understanding of child sexual abuse images that are created by adult offenders. It has been estimated that 88% of the explicit images of minors that are shared and misused online are youth-created. Examples of image-based sexual abuse (IBSA) include:
- A minor makes, sends, or posts sexual pictures or videos in exchange for money, drugs, or other items of value
- Someone else takes, makes or shares a sexual picture of a minor without their permission
- Someone threatens, tries to force, or strongly pressures a minor to provide sexual pictures or videos through a smartphone
- Someone threatens to share sexual pictures or videos of the minor to make them do something
- A minor shares a sexual picture or video with someone 5 or more years older
When a minor is the subject of explicit images that are exchanged or posted using internet-based services, new research has confirmed there can be significant impact on mental health. The study included Americans ages 18-28 who were survivors of IBSA that occurred when they were under 18. Respondents reported an increased likelihood of drug abuse and self harm as compared to American population norms for that age group. This is probably because survivors of IBSA have ongoing fear about the circulation and resurfacing of their images online, and fear they will be recognized.
Parents, mental health professionals, and educators who care about adolescents and teens can have preventative conversations by:
- Using the list provided above to make youth aware of the diverse forms that IBSA can take, especially online.
- Pointing teens to resources that can help them when these situations come up, including:
- CyberTipline from NCMEC to report the exploitation and get help
- Take It Down from NCMEC to get the images removed from the Internet
#MyFriendToo for advice and resources for helping a teen friend.