3 in 10 Adolescents and Young Adults Exposed to Sexual Risks on Online Platforms

Survey Results Released by Korean Women's Development Institute
Underage Boys and Girls Receive Requests for "Photos" During Conversations
Boys: In Community Chat Rooms vs. Girls: On Dating Apps

A survey found that 3 out of 10 adolescents and young adults have experienced sexual risks on online platforms.

According to the survey "Sexual Risks Online and the Limits of Platform Sanctions" released by the Korean Women's Development Institute on December 3, 38.5% of respondents said they had either proposed or received requests to exchange photos or videos, or to have video calls during conversations on platforms or apps. The survey was conducted in May of last year with 704 participants aged 14 to 30, targeting those who had private conversations with strangers in closed online spaces, had experienced exposure of their bodies, or had made or received sexual suggestions.

When asked to select all the platforms or apps where they first met the other party, 48.6% chose social networking services (SNS), 40.6% chose messenger open chat rooms, and 26.7% chose online or mobile games. While there were differences by gender and age, SNS and messenger open chat rooms had the highest response rates across all groups. More women (57.5%) than men (39.7%) reported such experiences through SNS, while more men (32.6%) than women (20.8%) cited online or mobile games.

Among respondents, 31.4% said that sexual content was included in conversations on platforms or apps. By age group, those aged 25-30 had the highest rate at 39.2%, followed by those aged 14-15 (33.7%), 19-24 (33.0%), and 16-18 (23.8%). By gender and age, adult men were highest at 38.1%, followed by adult women (34.1%), underage women (29.1%), and underage men (24.3%).

Regarding the experience of proposing or receiving requests to exchange photos or videos, or to have video calls during conversations by platform type, 46.2% of underage male respondents said these occurred in "chatting within online community sites," while 75.0% of underage female respondents pointed to "dating apps."

When asked if they were familiar with the concept of "online grooming," the positive response rates were higher among underage women (42.9%) and adult women (42.0%), but lower among underage men (28.8%) and adult men (18.2%).

Jeong Yeonju, Associate Research Fellow, pointed out, "While technological advances in online platforms have increased accessibility to digital spaces, the sexual risks and threats occurring in those spaces are underestimated, and sanctions against platforms remain weak." She emphasized the need to promote the fulfillment of platform operators' responsibilities and specify legal regulations, as well as to strengthen education and public awareness regarding the digital environment.

The findings covered in this press release can be found in the special feature "Gender-Based Violence Response Tasks for a Safer Society for Women" published in the quarterly journal "Gender Review" by the Korean Women's Development Institute.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.