NSPCC Learning has published an updated statistics briefing on online abuse and harm. The briefing examines officially recorded incidents of online harm and abuse, alongside children’s self‑reported experiences online. These statistics support professionals, and the organisations they work for, to make evidence‑based decisions about preventing and responding to online harm.
Key findings include:
- 19% of children aged 10 to 15 said they had exchanged messages online with someone they had never met offline
- Over 9,000 child sexual abuse offences involved an online element in 2023/24
- Around a sixth of people who experienced online harassment offences were under 18 years old
- Under‑18s were the victims in almost a quarter of reported online blackmail offences across England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
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