Kids turning to chatbots to disclose online sexual victimisation

Key points

• More than one in three Australian children who are sexually victimised online either tell no-one or turn to an AI chatbot, according to a study by Adelaide University. Australian Federal Police Commissioner Krissy Barrett warned that law enforcement cannot be the only safety net for vulnerable young people.
• Barrett called the trend heartbreaking and said automated software cannot provide the human support children need.
• She said parents and communities are best placed to notice when a child begins to withdraw.