Why is Child Sexual Assault by Children on the Rise?

Britain’s most senior child protection officer has raised alarms over a disturbing rise in sexual assaults among children, driven by a “toxic” online culture. An Observer investigation has revealed a sharp increase in abuse by minors reported to police.

Since the Covid-19 pandemic, police records in England and Wales have shown significant increases in rape, sexual assaults, and abuse incidents involving young children.

The Observer also uncovered an 81% rise in reported incidents occurring on school property, with experts describing the situation as reaching “alarming levels.”

Harmful Pornography

Ian Critchley, the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) lead for child protection, highlighted the role of violent pornography and misogynistic content accessed via smartphones in contributing to this “hugely concerning” trend.

He urged social media companies to take more responsibility, warning of new dangers posed by artificial intelligence and the rise of “sextortion,” where young people are coerced into taking compromising photos of themselves.

According to Critchley, while adults remain the primary perpetrators of harm to children, the increase in recorded crimes by young people over recent years is deeply troubling.

The normalization of harmful material and violent pornography among young people was due to the widespread use of smart devices.

Critchley criticized tech companies for prioritizing profit over societal impact, emphasizing the need for the Online Safety Act to curb harmful content.

He noted the significant influence of technology on generational norms and the rise in “sextortion” reports.

Expressing concerns about end-to-end encryption, Critchley called for a transformation of the online environment to provide a safer space for young people, free from the toxicity and harm currently prevalent.

Child Abuse

An analysis by The Observer, utilizing data from 39 of the 43 police forces in England and Wales obtained through the Freedom of Information Act, revealed a troubling trend between 2019 and 2022.

Reports of sexual assaults and rapes involving both alleged victims and perpetrators under 18 surged by 40%. Notably, there was a 33% rise in rape reports and a 26% increase in allegations against children under 10.

The data, though varying in detail from different forces, indicated a rise in reports of sexual abuse, rape, and other sexual offenses from 20,000 in 2019 to over 28,000 in 2022. Alarmingly, more than 2,700 incidents occurred on school premises in 2022.

Children’s charities highlight that these allegations represent the most severe end of a spectrum of behaviors faced by young people from their peers.

Organizations educating students about consent report increasingly disturbing attitudes among young men, including beliefs that consent is influenced by a woman’s attire or her relationship status with the accused.

A recent NPCC report noted that while adult offenses against children are typically more severe, 52% of alleged offenders were children.

Simon Bailey, former NPCC lead for child protection and current chair of the Embrace charity, which supports young crime victims, stated, “The scale of peer-on-peer sexual abuse has reached alarming levels.

Young men, in particular, are being influenced by pornography and social media, driving this troubling trend. Urgent action is needed across all sectors to prevent further escalation of these crimes.”

Critchley emphasized that his aim is not to criminalize an entire generation but to urge social media companies, schools, and parents to take proactive measures. 

He advocates for discussions about acceptable behavior, the dangers of sharing nude images, and the importance of reporting inappropriate conduct.

Critchley also warned about the new challenges posed by AI, calling on tech firms to ensure its safe use from the outset. The nudification of celebrities and classmates is a risk that needs to be addressed proactively

Primary Perpetrators

New data reveals that children are now the primary perpetrators of sexual abuse against other children.

According to police data, there has been a fourfold increase in sexual offenses against children, marking the most comprehensive analysis of such crimes to date.

The National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) report highlights that while adult offenses against children tend to be more severe, the rise in sexual offenses committed by those aged 17 or under is particularly concerning.

One disturbing case involved a four-year-old who allegedly used a smartphone to upload an indecent image of a sibling. Police have withheld further details.

In 2022, police in England and Wales received 107,000 reports of sexual offenses against children, including rapes and the creation and distribution of indecent images. The NPCC noted that 52% of alleged offenders were children, a significant increase from around one-third a decade ago.

Reports included 14,800 cases of rape and sexual assault against children aged 10 to 17, with the majority of suspects being boys. 

Easy accessibility of violent pornography normalizes such behavior for boys, and the widespread availability of smartphones, even among children under 10, has exacerbated the issue. 

A third of these attacks occur within the family, the most common setting for abuse, and eight out of ten victims knew their attacker. Police estimate that only one in six offenses are reported.

The clear-up rate, where someone is charged or cautioned, stands at 12% for physical attacks on children and 11% for indecent image offenses. For child-on-child attacks, the rates are 15% for sexual assault and 12% for rape.

The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) is increasing its helpline capacity and raising awareness for adults to report suspicions of child abuse.

The charity highlighted that it currently takes 14 months for a defendant in a child abuse case to stand trial after being charged, adding strain on victims.

Wendy Hart, deputy director for child sexual abuse at the National Crime Agency, estimated that about 830,000 adults in the UK pose a danger to children.

She noted that the severity of offences has increased, as have the challenges faced by law enforcement.

Hart also mentioned the emergence of hyper-realistic images and videos of abuse created using AI and the complications posed by end-to-end encryption on technology platforms in protecting children.