Cyber-pedocriminality

Digital media play a large role in the everyday lives of children and adolescents. The digital sphere offers many opportunities for personal development, but it also comes with dangers. Children and adolescents may be confronted with various forms of sexualized violence online. Criminals are increasingly turning to artificial intelligence to initiate contact with children and hide their intentions – making it easier for them to fool their victims. The consequences of these digital assaults can be just as severe as physical sexualized violence and they must not be minimized.

Pedocriminality is a collective term for a variety of sex-related crimes perpetrated against minors. It includes a wide spectrum of crimes: 

• verbal sexual innuendos
• sexualized acts (for example, when someone asks a child to perform sexual acts on them or in front of a webcam)
• satisfaction of the perpetrator's sexual need (for example, by masturbating in front of a child, flashing, or intentionally showing a child pornographic images)
• documentation of crimes in images and videos 

• 4,472 reports and questions were sent to clickandstop.ch, the site for reporting cases and seeking advice pertaining to online pedocriminality, between April 2023 and March 2024. 
• The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) in the USA received over 20.5 million reports of online sexualized violence toward children and adolescents in 2024 (NCMEC, 2024). 
• 50% of adolescents in Switzerland have received unwelcome sexual advances (2022 JAMES study).
• 26% of adolescents in Switzerland were encouraged to send erotic photos (2024 JAMES study).

Perpetrators strike up conversations with children and adolescents in digital spaces like online games, social networks and chat forums. Initial contact appears harmless: a joke, a friendly comment, an invitation to start a game. However, they are working toward a goal: forming a relationship with the victim, step by step. At first glance they appear safe, even trustworthy. They seek to create an emotional bond with the child. This process is part of a meticulously planned strategy of manipulation (learn more here). 

The perpetrator gains the trust of a child or adolescent by giving them compliments – and deepening a dangerously deceptive emotional bond. Young people at this stage of life are especially receptive to attention and confirmation. Their lives are changing and they want to try new things, test boundaries and feel like they belong (learn more about child and adolescent sexual development here). When someone shows an interest in them and gives them the feeling that they are special, this interest can quickly be perceived as exciting or flattering, making them susceptible to manipulation. 

Sooner or later, the message becomes clear: the perpetrator wants sexual images or videos. For children and adolescents, this comes as a shock. And that's the moment when they need to know how to respond. A child who has learned protection strategies can walk away and get help before the situation gets out of control.

• If you have a bad feeling about a situation or have questions about sexualized violence online, clickandstop.ch offers anonymous and straightforward help.
• Talk to your child about cybergrooming and sextortion. Discuss with them what they should look out for. 
• Don't share your child's personal information and photos online – especially not on social media.
• Only share online what you'd share with strangers in real life.
• If your child has their own mobile phone, avoid arguments later by giving clear agreements and guidance on its use ahead of time.
• Make sure that your profiles are set to private to limit who sees your posts.
• Set an example in how to use social media. Children learn from adult behavior. 
• Look regularly at what your child is doing online. Talk to them openly about the risks. Explain that not everyone they encounter online has good intentions toward them and that users that appear to be their own age might not be. A stranger's request to connect with them may be a red flag.
• Learn about age-appropriate sex education and talk to your child about sexualized violence – online and offline. Speaking openly promotes trust and healthy sexual development.
• Practice defense strategies together: responses like «I don't want to!» or «I'm reporting you!» can help in critical situations.
• Use this checklist (in German) to learn more about posting images of children.

• Is your child being subjected to sexualized violence online? Contact clickandstop.ch or the police. 
• If your child is being blackmailed, coerced or exploited to make sexual content, this constitutes a crime. Learn here what steps you can take. 
• Online or offline, sexualized violence is never the fault of the child. Let your child know: «It's not your fault, and you're not alone.» It's normal to have feelings of shame, and children sometimes need time until they are ready to talk about it. Keep the lines of communication open to understand how contact was established and how your child can protect him/herself in the future.
• Give your child encouragement and assure them of your support. Children may refuse help out of fear that the police or other people will get involved. Explain to your child that professionals are there to help them and protect them.
• Go to the police as soon as you can after an incident and report it (find out more here).
• Sometimes sexualized violence or extortion attempts are even carried out by classmates. Inform teachers or the school social worker about the situation, and find out what legal action you can take. 
• Use the anonymous and free services of Take It Down to prevent images from being shared on various platforms.

• Clickandstop
• Police
• Victim support centers

Hier erfahren Sie mehr über die Kampagne  «Gemeinsam gegen Cybersexualdelikte an Kindern und Jugendlichen».