The Commissioner of the Australian Federal Police, Krissy Barrett, has new research on the extent of online child sexual victimisation “sober reading” after it revealed young Australians were more likely to turn to AI chatbots for advice rather than report any exploitative behaviour to the proper authorities.
“Vulnerable communities include our youth. When I became Commissioner, I told the Australian public I would have honest and open conversations with them to help keep their kids safe, even if it was confronting to hear,’’ Commissioner Barrett (pictured) said in a statement last week.
The research – conducted by Tim Cubitt and his team at the Australian Cybercrime Observatory at Adelaide University and titled ‘AI and non-AI online child sexual victimisation: A national study of Australian Adolescents’ – found seven central findings:
- Online child sexual victimisation rates reported in 2021 persist in 2026.
- Girls experience higher victimisation rates than boys.
- AI is increasingly used to sexually victimise young people, particularly through nude images.
- Boys are more frequently targeted when AI is used to obtain sexual material.
- Victimised boys are more likely to disclose their experiences to AI than to authorities or trusted adults.
- Two in five of these boys disclosed only to AI or no one.
- AI and non-AI sexual victimisation clustered among peers, with young people more likely to be victimised if a friend had also experienced it.
The AFP-led Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation, National Office for Child Safety, and the International Centre for Missing and Exploited Children Australia assisted in the research.
“One of the most concerning findings of this research is that, of the children who reported being sexually victimised online, 35 per cent either told no one or turned to an AI chatbot for help,’’ Commissioner Barrett said.
“More than 15 per cent of young people also reported seeking personal or counselling advice from AI at least once a week.
“Parents and caregivers need to know that this is happening and I urge them to have conversations with their children about coming forward to a trusted adult, including law enforcement, if they are being sexually exploited online, so the appropriate help and support can be provided.
“When someone reaches out for help, particularly about child exploitation or abuse, every minute can matter.”
The AFP said it is now working with Monash University to develop a “real-time online welfare alert tool” that can identify reports involving children at risk of self-harm early, assessing public reporting to identify language that may indicate increased risk and report the issue to trained AFP members.
“We are talking to industry about how they can ensure chatbots and other AI models provide sound advice – such as encouraging adolescents to seek help from a trusted adult and diverting others from offending,’’ Commissioner Barrett said.
“One of my key focuses as Commissioner is partnering with the private sector so we can co-develop innovative AI capabilities that can be used at scale.
“It is also important for the tech industry to embed safety features into digital platforms from the start.
“The research findings also help inform our understanding of what’s needed in the prevention and education space and highlight the importance of the ACCCE-led ThinkUKnow online safety program.
“The AFP has a long-standing partnership with Monash University to develop AI technologies and safety frameworks for their use.”
Commissioner Barrett said that technology could provide a raft of useful tools to law enforcement, speeding up the process of investigations and reducing the exposure of AFP members themselves to distressing content.
“However, the future of policing isn't about replacing skilled human judgement with technology," Commissioner Barrett said.
“It's about using technology to help people make better decisions, respond more quickly and protect more Australians from harm.”
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