"14% of Children and Adolescents Victimized by Sexual Exploitation Have Attempted Suicide or Engaged in Self-Harm"

Annual Report on Support Centers for Sexual Exploitation Victims Released
1,226 Children and Adolescents Received Counseling and Support Last Year
Most Cases Occurred Through Chatting Apps and Social Networking Services

#. Ari (alias, age 12), out of boredom, opened an open chat room titled "Looking for a Boyfriend" and began a relationship with an adult perpetrator who claimed to be the same age as Ari. The perpetrator suggested playing a game where Ari would make a wish, and as a wish, demanded that Ari send explicit photos. Ari, unaware of the harm, complied with the perpetrator's request. When Ari's mother realized what had happened, the perpetrator threatened to distribute the images. Ari then sought help from the Support Center for Children and Youth Victims of Sexual Exploitation, where Ari received online monitoring and deletion support as well as legal assistance.

According to a recent survey, 14% of children and adolescents who received support from the 17 nationwide "Support Centers for Children and Youth Victims of Sexual Exploitation" last year had attempted suicide or engaged in self-harm.

The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family and the Korea Women's Human Rights Institute recently released the "2025 Annual Report of the Support Centers for Children and Youth Victims of Sexual Exploitation." These centers provide integrated support services for children and adolescents who are victims of sexual exploitation, including online counseling, emergency rescue, medical and legal support, academic and vocational training support, and aftercare.

Last year, the number of children and adolescents who received services from nationwide support centers totaled 1,226. The figures were 862 in 2022, 952 in 2023, and 1,187 in 2024, showing a steady increase each year.

By age group, 567 individuals (46.2%) were between 14 and 16 years old, the largest segment, followed by 403 individuals (32.9%) aged 17 to 18, and 165 individuals (13.5%) aged 19 or older.

Regarding the channels through which children and adolescents became victims, 539 cases (44.0%) involved chatting apps, and 474 cases (38.7%) involved social networking services (SNS), meaning that 82.7% of the cases occurred through online platforms.

In terms of the types of victimization (multiple responses allowed), compensated dating was reported in 942 cases, assault or extortion in 289 cases, digital sex crimes in 280 cases, and suicide attempts or self-harm in 173 cases. This means that more than 14% of the 1,226 children and adolescents supported by the centers had experienced suicide attempts or self-harm.

Last year, the centers reported 3,551 cases (80.2%) out of 4,425 suspected perpetrator activities identified through online monitoring to the police, the Korea Communications Standards Commission, and other authorities. Offline, the centers provided outreach, policy promotion, referrals, and brief counseling to 58,124 people in areas with high concentrations of children and adolescents, such as PC rooms and lodging facilities.

Minister of Gender Equality and Family Won Minkyoung stated, "There are increasing cases where children and adolescents are exposed to the risk of sexual exploitation via chatting apps and SNS." She added, "We will strengthen tailored, integrated support that carefully considers the characteristics of victims to help them quickly return to healthy daily life, and we will further enhance preventive activities such as monitoring the online environment."

※ If you are experiencing depression or any difficult issues that are hard to talk about, or if a family member or acquaintance around you is facing similar difficulties, you can receive 24-hour professional counseling by calling the suicide prevention hotline at ☎109 or through SNS counseling with 'MadeulLan (Your Listening Online Friend)'.

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