The impact of social media in child sexual abuse

Abstract

With the rise of technology, social media consumption by young children has become part of normal life. The ease of fabricating an online persona also means children become accessible by predators, placing them at risk of exploitation including the production of child abuse material, online grooming and child sexual abuse. The content uploaded on social media is difficult to monitor enabling children to be exposed to potentially harmful material. Online safety for children needs to be prioritised and parents made aware of the resources available to them.