A new large-scale survey by the UK children’s charity Barnardo’s has revealed alarming levels of online sexual harassment and misogynistic abuse faced by girls, with nearly one in five reporting they have received unwanted sexual images through digital platforms. The findings highlight how deeply embedded such behaviour has become in the everyday online lives of young people, raising urgent concerns about safety, consent, and the growing normalisation of sexual exploitation in digital spaces.
The survey, which polled around 4,000 children and young people across the UK, paints a disturbing picture of how frequently girls are exposed to coercion, harassment, and image-based abuse. According to the findings, approximately 20% of girls said they had been sent unsolicited sexual images more than once. A significant proportion also reported being pressured into sharing intimate photographs, with around 36% saying they had been asked to send nude images. Among younger teenagers aged 13 to 15, around one in seven admitted they had been directly asked to send such content, underscoring how early these experiences are beginning.
The research also points to the widespread circulation of non-consensual imagery, with roughly a quarter of respondents saying they had seen sexual images that were originally shared privately but later redistributed without permission. In some cases, girls reported being threatened with the sharing of explicit material, adding an element of intimidation and control to the abuse. Barnardo’s warns that such incidents are not isolated but increasingly part of a broader pattern of online behaviour that mirrors offline gender-based violence.
Charity leaders have described the situation as a growing crisis that is shaping adolescence itself. Barnardo’s chief executive Lynn Perry said the findings show that misogyny and sexual harassment online are becoming “constant, corrosive and deeply embedded” in the lives of children and young people. She warned that the emotional consequences include shame, fear, isolation, and long-term psychological harm, particularly when abuse is repeated or normalised within peer groups.
The report also highlights the impact on boys, noting that many feel pressure to conform to hyper-masculine behaviour and are reluctant to challenge sexist remarks due to fear of social exclusion. This, the charity argues, contributes to a cycle in which harmful attitudes are reinforced rather than questioned in online environments.
Frontline practitioners working with Barnardo’s have also reported a rise in cases involving misogynistic online content, child-on-child sexual abuse, and digitally facilitated exploitation. They say the scale and sophistication of such abuse is increasing, particularly with the use of fake accounts and manipulated or stolen images.
In response to the findings, Barnardo’s is urging the UK government to strengthen regulatory frameworks under Ofcom and introduce a mandatory code of practice requiring tech companies to take stronger responsibility for preventing misogynistic and sexual abuse online. The organisation is calling for a more proactive approach from social media platforms, including better detection of harmful content and stricter safeguards for children.
The report comes amid ongoing national debate in the UK over online safety laws, age restrictions for social media use, and the responsibilities of technology companies in protecting vulnerable users. Barnardo’s says the evidence demonstrates that without urgent intervention, harmful digital behaviour risks becoming an accepted part of growing up, rather than a preventable form of abuse.
