The research from charity, Childnet outlined that around one third of teenage girls have been sexually harassed by children of their age. Further, around 31 percent girls aged between 13 and 17 years have been harassed sexually as compared to 11 percent boys.

The study also revealed that one out of every 10 teenage girls reported to have been at the receiving end of sexual assaults, including rape. In light of the matter, government agencies have been developing new guidelines on how schools should deal with issues of sexual harassments.

The report discovered that sexual harassment took place across various platforms, such as messaging apps including Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp and social media platforms such as Snapchat.

Other findings suggested that 26% teenagers were victims of online rumors regarding their sexual behavior and 12% of teenagers claimed to have been forced by their partners to share nude pictures.

Will Gardner, Chief Executive of Childnet said, “Digital technology plays a central role in young people’s lives but it has opened the door for a range of new forms of sexual harassment, making societal discussions about these issues more pertinent than ever.”

He added that the report outlines how significant it was to work together to ensure sexual harassment on online platforms does not become an inevitable part of growing up. The charity has also endeavored to prepare educations resources by collaborating with schools for prevention and responding to online sexual harassment.

Leading social media platforms must take necessary measures to prevent such incidents and offer adequate support to young users who suffer from cyberbullying.