Behind the Screen: What Parents Need to Know About Online Child Sexual Exploitation in Canada (2025)
- The White Hatter
- Jun 6
- 6 min read
CAVEAT - the statistics and the numbers in this article only reflect police-reported cases. Due to underreporting, often because victims feel ashamed, scared, or unsure how to come forward, the real scale is almost certainly greater. That said, this article will provide parents and caregivers with valuable insight into the trends, vulnerabilities, and necessary steps forward.
In a recent 2025 global systematic review and meta-analysis study titled, “Prevalence estimates and nature of online child sexual exploitation and abuse: a systematic review and meta-analysis” they found that 1 in 12 youth have been targeted for some form of online sexual exploitation. (1)
Thorn, in the United States, found in their April 2025 nationally representative survey of 1,125 youth aged 13–20, they found that 15% of respondents, that’s roughly 1 in 7, had engaged in at least one form of transactional sexual experience facilitated by technology. This number wasn’t just a headline-grabbing estimate; it came from nine carefully designed survey questions that assessed how young people interact with digital spaces when it comes to sex, solicitation, and exploitation. (2)
To put these numbers in to perspective:
Among 13–17 year olds (n = 688), the rate was still about 14 out of 100
For the youngest group surveyed, 13–14 year olds (n = 269), 12 out of 100 said they had experienced a commodified sexual interaction.
Among 15–17 year olds (n = 419), that number rose to 15 out of 100
These findings are not just statistically sound (the sample size of 688 for 13–17-year-olds is considered strong), they also paint a nuanced and sobering picture of how youth may be navigating online environments in ways many adults aren’t even aware of.
So what does the research show us specific to youth and teens in Canada?
In early 2025, Statistics Canada released an in-depth look into Online Child Sexual Exploitation (OCSE) across the country. (3) The numbers are troubling, but they’re also critical for parents and caregivers to understand, not to provoke fear, but to inspire proactive education, open conversations, and strategic action.
The Scope in Numbers: What the Data Showed
In 2023, 19,516 cases of online child sexual exploitation were reported to Canadian police.
With 7.2 million youth under 18 in Canada, that works out to about:
3 in every 1,000 youth (or 0.03 out of 10) affected, a number much smaller that the above noted 1 in 12 noted in the global study mentioned above.
270 incidents per 100,000 youth.
However, this marks a 59% increase from 2022, a statistic that underscores a rising awareness and possibly improved detection, but also signals increased activity by offenders and more opportunities for exploitation online. As stated by Stats Canada:
“It is important to note that higher rates between years may reflect differences in the recognition, reporting, and investigation of OCSE incidents, and not necessarily higher rates of occurrence. Year-over-year differences in reporting may be influenced by a variety of factors, including the presence or absence of public awareness campaigns, the willingness of the public to report incidents to police, and the number of investigative resources among police services allocated to dedicated Internet Child Exploitation units.”
Who Is Being Targeted—and How?
The data shows girls continue to be disproportionately targeted in OCSE cases:
77% of victims were girls.
Girls made up:
81% of luring cases,
72% of non-consensual image distribution cases,
68% of invitation to sexual touching cases.
The median age of victims, for both boys and girls, was 14 years old.
Most of the exploitation occurred between ages 12 to 17. That’s not surprising, given that this age group typically has greater access to devices, social media accounts, and digital independence. But it’s a stark reminder of where prevention needs to start.
What Offenders Are Doing
The most common offence? Luring, which accounts for 65% of police-reported OCSE incidents.
Luring involves an offender communicating with a child or youth online with the goal of committing a sexual offence. These communications often begin innocently but can quickly escalate into manipulation, grooming, or coercion.
Another area of concern is the non-consensual distribution of intimate images (NCDII), which includes cases of sextortion. In 2023:
There were 480 police-reported incidents of NCDII involving victims under 18,
Most (94%) were between ages 12 to 17,
The median victim age remained 14.
Police believe this number captures only a small fraction of all real-world sextortion incidents, especially when it comes to “financial extortion”. That’s because many cases go unreported to police due to fear, shame, or threats made by the perpetrator.
Are Police Solving These Cases?
Unfortunately, 78% of cases were not cleared, meaning:
No accused was identified,
Or there wasn’t enough evidence to lay a charge.
Most uncleared cases (77%) fell under “insufficient evidence”, a common obstacle in digital crime. Even when cases are cleared, international offenders, anonymous platforms, encrypted apps, and lack of cross-border cooperation can make prosecution extremely difficult.
That said, when cases were cleared, 75% led to charges—proof that when evidence is available, law enforcement takes action.
The Experience of Canadian Teens Online
It’s not just about criminal charges, it’s about day-to-day digital realities. The report also found that:
Almost 1 in 5 teens aged 15-19 experienced some form of unwanted sexual behaviour online.
16% reported being sent unwanted sexual images or messages.
6% said they had been pressured to send, share, or post explicit content.
Young women were twice as likely as young men to experience this.
Youth with disabilities were more than twice as likely to experience unwanted sexual behaviour online than their peers without disabilities.
These numbers point to a broader culture issue, one that parents, educators, and platforms must collectively work to address.
The numbers in this report are not just statistics, they represent real kids, real families, and real trauma, and even 1 youth or teen survivor is one too many. But they also present an opportunity for parents to take informed action.
What are our take aways from this Stats Canada Report:
Online predation and exploitation of youth remains a real and ongoing concern. Digital spaces continue to be used by offenders to target children and teens, making it essential to stay proactive in addressing these risks.
Luring remains the most commonly reported form of online predation. This reinforces the importance of educating young people about how grooming, recruitment, and luring typically unfold—what we refer to as “situational danger.” Understanding these tactics empowers youth to recognize and respond to red flags before harm occurs.
Sextortion involving the threat or actual non-consensual sharing of intimate images is a growing and persistent danger. Whether the perpetrator is a peer or a stranger, cases involving financial coercion or emotional manipulation after a nude has been shared continue to be among the most concerning forms of exploitation.
There is a troubling normalization of sending unsolicited sexual images, particularly targeting teen girls. Often carried out by peers, typically teen boys, this behaviour highlights a critical gap in understanding consent. More education is needed to teach that consent must be informed, mutual, and respected in both physical and digital spaces.
The 2025 Statistics Canada report on Online Child Sexual Exploitation (OCSE) paints a sobering but necessary picture of what many Canadian youth, especially girls aged 12 to 17, are facing behind their screens. While the numbers alone are concerning, it’s vital to remember that each data point represents a real young person, often suffering in silence due to fear, shame, or lack of understanding around how to seek help.
Still, these findings are not meant to cause panic, they’re a call to action. As parents and caregivers, we cannot rely solely on the justice system to protect our children. Prevention starts at home, with education, conversation, and guidance rooted in empathy, not fear. Youth must be taught not only about the risks but how to navigate them and how to spot grooming, understand consent, report exploitation, and resist manipulation, whether from peers or online predators.
We must also push back against the normalization of unsolicited sexual content and equip our kids with a strong understanding of digital boundaries. When we focus on “situational danger” rather than blanket fear, we help young people build critical thinking, confidence, and resilience, these are key traits that will serve them in every corner of their onlife world.
At The White Hatter, we believe the answer to online exploitation isn’t restriction it’s education and preparation. That means giving youth the tools to protect themselves, the space to ask questions, and the support to reach out when something doesn’t feel right. Together, we can make the internet safer, not just through filters and firewalls, but through informed, empowered young minds.
When we empower our kids with the tools to recognize danger, make good choices, and ask for help, we shift the focus from fear to confidence. That is how we keep them safe, not just from what’s online today, but from what may emerge tomorrow and this is something we specialize in here at the White Hatter.
Digital Food For Thought
The White Hatter
Facts Not Fear, Facts Not Emotions, Enlighten Not Frighten, Know Tech Not No Tech
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