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Children increasingly posting content with sexual undertones, warn police
Armelle Delmelle
February 7th, 2022
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Children as young as six years old are making their own content, possibly based on their own exposure to pornography, and sharing it
Electronic screens are a major cause of sleep deprivation (photo: maxpixel.net)
The police warn against a worrying new trend in which children, sometimes as young as six years old, post videos of themselves with sexual undertones on sites such as TikTok.
Young children are unaware of the consequences when exposing themselves on the internet.
In this case, it could put them at risk of so-called sextortion. This means that adults who see them can threaten them and pressure them into making more videos.
A global phenomenon
Flemming Kjærside, a police commissioner from the Special Crime Unit, says that this is not just a Danish phenomenon.
“It is quite normal for children to explore their own sexuality and play sex games, but it becomes a bit dangerous when the game ends up on the internet, where everyone else can follow,” he said.
In some cases, the police suggest the children are copying what they previously saw on pornography sites.
And even if the platforms quickly remove this type of video, they can be easily viewed and copied.
What you can do to prevent it
As the parent of a young child, there are a few things you can do to protect them when they are on the internet, advise the police.
Always remember to erase your browsing history before giving your iPad or phone to your child – especially if you use it to watch content such as porn.
Secondly, make sure the safety setting is set properly on any application they might use. You can also talk to your child about what a phone or an iPad is used for, how they use it, and what they have seen while using it.
Finally, Red Barnet is reminding parents that young children should not be allowed on platforms such as TikTok. The legal age to create an account is 13.
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