Thorn's annual Youth Perspectives report reveals younger boys are increasingly targeted online – as fewer minors seek help from trusted adults
New research from Thorn, a nonprofit that builds technology to defend children from sexual abuse and exploitation in the digital age, reveals a troubling spike in online sexual interactions reported by younger boys.
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According to the sixth annual Youth Perspectives on Online Safety report, 33% of boys aged 9-12 said they experienced an online sexual interaction in 2024-the highest rate reported since data collection began five years ago.
“The sheer number of young boys reporting these experiences is a worrying signal that we need to pay attention to,” said Melissa Stroebel, Vice President of Research and Strategic Impact at Thorn. “These children are being contacted and solicited online at a formative age, and many are navigating it alone. We have to make it easier for kids to turn to adults they trust, and harder for abuse to reach them online in the first place.”
Additional findings from the report highlight the growing scope and complexity of these harms:
— Solicitation is on the rise.Among 9-12-year-old boys, being sent sexual messages increased by 12 percentage points, and being asked to send nudes rose by 9 percentage points from 2023.
— Many minors face it alone.One in five minors who experienced an online sexual interaction did not disclose the experience to anyone. Only 62% turned to a trusted adult – a 9-point drop from the previous year.
— Using digital tools is more common than seeking human support.Minors were more than twice as likely to use platform safety tools (84%) than to talk to a caregiver or friend offline (36%).
— Trusted adults feel out of reach for many. Only 60% of minors who had an online sexual interaction said they “completely agree” they have a trusted adult to go to for help – down 6 points from 2023.
— 1 in 4 9-12-year-olds report contact with adults.Among 9-12-year-olds who had an online sexual interaction, 24% said it was with someone they believed to be an adult – a 4-points higher than the prior year.
— Resharing of harmful content persists.One in ten minors admitted to resharing someone else's self-generated sexual image without their consent – a behavior that perpetuates the cycle of exploitation.
Thorn's research is helping parents, platforms, and policymakers understand how these harms show up in kids' lives – and how to prevent them before they escalate.
— Thorn for Parentsprovides conversation guides and age-appropriate tools to help caregivers earn trust and have the tough conversations before something goes wrong.
— NoFiltrequips teens with digital self-defense, helping them navigate unwanted interactions and support friends at risk.
Read the full report: Youth Perspectives on Online Safety, 2024.
About ThornThorn is an innovative technology nonprofit that transforms how children are protected from sexual abuse and exploitation in the digital age. Thorn builds scalable tools to help platforms detect and prevent child sexual abuse and exploitation, supports investigators in finding victims faster, and shares research and technical guidance to shape policy and improve protections for children worldwide. By working within the broader child protection ecosystem, Thorn is creating a digital safety net to protect every child's right to simply be a kid. To learn more about Thorn's mission to protect children in the digital age, visit thorn.org.
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SOURCE Thorn
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