Online sexual communication with children in the UK, 2018–21: Characteristics, prevalence, and data limitations
This article examines the prevalence and characteristics of reported Sexual Communication with a Child (SCC), based on British police data from April 2018 to April 2021, obtained via Freedom of Information (FOI) requests. Insights provided include details about victims and offenders; well-known online platforms that are implicated to be utilised for sexual communication, and the outcomes of police inquiries. These findings highlight the need for proactive measures to address the escalating prevalence of SCC offences, as well as the necessity for enhancements in how data, including the age distribution of victims is documented in SCC investigations.
Authors
- Paul Bleakley (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2512-4072)
- Boglárka Meggyesfalvi (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3699-816X)
- Paula Bradbury (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7837-7233)
- Elena Martellozzo (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1249-7611)
Institutions
- University of Kentucky (US)
- University of East London (GB)
- Middlesex University London (GB)
- University of Edinburgh (GB)
Publication Details
- Journal
- The Police Journal Theory Practice and Principles
- Published
- 2026-11-05
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1177/0032258x261507284
- Primary Topic
- Cybercrime and Law Enforcement Studies
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00