In this ever-changing world where Digital is king, we have never had access to so much information or so many people – but, as this latest research will prove, this can have sinister ramifications.
The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) has shared some frightening revelations this week regarding online sex abuse.
According to the NSPCC’s latest report, upwards of 100 child rapes with online links took place in England and Wales over 2015/16.
Overall, police were able to identify over 3,000 internet-related crimes ranging from grooming to sexual assault.
In cases where the child’s age was provided, the majority of the victims were found to be 13 years of age, while almost 300 of them were children under the age of 10.
One of the most shocking revelations of the report, however, showed that the youngest child affected was just one year old.
Commenting on the alarming news, the NSPCC’s chief executive, Peter Wanless said that the report is damning proof that the internet is playing a ‘significant’ role in the abuse of children in the UK.
“Children are increasingly telling our ChildLine service how they are being targeted online. Predatory adults posing as children try to meet them or blackmail them into meeting up or performing sexual acts on webcams, which obviously terrifies them and can leave some feeling suicidal,” he warned.
Check out this link for information on keeping your children safe online.
