Online sexual exploitation of children and youth
This document provides an overview of the issue of online sexual exploitation of children and youth. It has been prepared by two researchers specialized in forensic psychology and criminology, in collaboration with the INSPQ. It complements the other texts in the Sexual Violence Section.
Highlights
- Online sexual exploitation of children and youth refers to acts of sexual nature directed at people under the age of 18, committed or distributed via information and communications technologies.
- In the Canadian Criminal Code, child pornography (which will be replaced by “child sexual abuse and exploitation material” in October 2025) and luring a child are offences considered to be online sexual exploitation.
- In Canada and Quebec, the number of police-reported cases of online sexual exploitation of children and youth is constantly rising.
- There are many virtual locations where online child sexual exploitation can take place, such as peer-to-peer networks, the dark web, communication applications, and social media.
- Online sexual exploitation of children and youth has consequences for victims, including on their mental health (e.g., hypervigilance, depression), physical and sexual health (e.g., sleep disorders, avoidance of sex), and social life (e.g., relationship and family problems).
- The majority of perpetrators of online sexual exploitation of children and youth are men and boys. Certain psychological, socio-demographic, and criminal factors and characteristics distinguish them from perpetrators of offline sexual abuse.
- Preventing online sexual exploitation of children and youth requires strategies that act on a societal level, on environments, on living environments, and on an individual level. It also requires collaboration between different stakeholders, such as public safety, public health, and digital companies.
