Internet Drives Explosion in Child Sex Abuse, Report Says

In 2024, over 80% of child sexual abuse cases in China were perpetrated by acquaintances, with rising threats from online exploitation and widespread exposure of children—especially preschoolers—to harmful internet content. These findings were presented in the "2024 Statistical Analysis of Child Sexual Abuse Cases and Anti-Sexual Abuse Education Survey Report" by the Beijing All-in-One Foundation, a prominent child protection advocacy group. The report analyzed 205 publicly reported child sexual abuse cases involving 690 victims, including children as young as three years old. Girls made up the vast majority of victims (over 90%), and high-risk environments were identified as schools and online platforms [para. 1][para. 2].

However, the report acknowledged that publicly reported cases likely represent only a fraction of the actual incidents, due to significant underreporting related to social, judicial, and media limitations. Official data released by the Supreme People's Procuratorate indicated that in the first 11 months of 2024, 41,000 individuals were indicted for sexual crimes against minors, accounting for over 60% of all prosecuted crimes against minors [para. 3].

Of the cases reviewed, 136 included geographic data: 66.92% occurred in urban areas, 23.53% in county towns, and 12.5% in rural areas. The report cautioned that urban cases are not necessarily more prevalent but are more often detected and reported due to greater societal attention and media coverage. Rural cases may be severely underrepresented due to less reporting and judicial oversight [para. 4].

The vast majority of perpetrators (82.74% of cases with clear relationship data) were known to their victims, often teachers, school staff, coaches, tutors, or cram-school instructors (accounting for over 30% of acquaintance-perpetrated cases). The foundation stressed that this percentage might be inflated due to higher media focus on cases involving educators, rather than reflecting their actual prevalence among all abusers. The report called for comprehensive preventative measures, including stricter background checks for educators and enhanced family education about abuse prevention and reporting protocols [para. 5][para. 6].

Physical abuse settings were most often schools and training centers (22.22% of specified cases), perpetrators’ residences (16.05%), and entertainment venues such as hotels or KTVs (14.81%). This underscores the urgent need to improve background checks and mandate reporting protocols in these environments [para. 7]. While China has developed foundational regulatory frameworks to address campus sexual abuse, actual implementation and practical understanding among staff—such as establishing effective student protection committees—remains weak, as noted by UNICEF China’s Su Wenyin [para. 8].

In 21.46% of reported cases, abuse involved online methods, typically combining remote molestation with offline exploitation. Offenders often exploit social networks and gaming communities to approach minors, utilizing the anonymity these platforms offer. Repeat offenses are rampant; in 40 of the 44 online-facilitated cases, abuse persisted over time, sometimes affecting dozens of victims—one incident cited involved 79 children [para. 9][para. 10].

The increase in online child sexual abuse is linked to minors’ lack of self-protection awareness, insufficient sex education, regulatory loopholes on digital platforms, and a tendency for victims not to make reports—compounded by inadequate family communication [para. 11].

A separate online safety survey found that nearly 48% of preschool children had encountered inappropriate online material, with concern rising as children aged. Parents showed high awareness of the need for online safety education, but only 60% felt adequately knowledgeable about recognizing abuse, highlighting gaps in emergency preparedness [para. 12][para. 13].

Experts emphasize that media literacy and internet safety education are vital for reducing risk and improving children's ability to protect themselves, especially as increased online activity correlates directly with exposure to harm [para. 14].