Snapchat, TikTok and Instagram are the platforms where children most frequently report online sexual grooming, according to new data from child protection organizations in the UK.
Childline identified these three apps as the top platforms named in counselling sessions about online sexual abuse last year. The NSPCC found that Snapchat appeared in 324 counselling sessions about online sexual abuse between April 2025 and March 2026, a 19% increase on the previous year. TikTok and Instagram followed with 234 and 197 mentions respectively.
Research by the NSPCC also found that sexual communication offences involving children in the South West have more than doubled since the offence was introduced seven years ago, reaching 756 cases in 2024/25. Of those, Avon and Somerset Police recorded 300 cases, Gloucestershire Constabulary recorded 96, and Wiltshire Police recorded 61.
Child exploitation prevention officer Andri Nicolau of Avon and Somerset Police said children as young as five years old are now being targeted through social media, gaming and messaging platforms. She described grooming as becoming "easier" and "quicker" than ever before, partly because children are spending more time online and often have their own phones at young ages.
Recent criminal cases underscore the threat. Three men were jailed for grooming a 17-year-old girl on Snapchat before raping her. In another case, Suleman Aqeel, 23, from Bristol, was jailed for 17 years on 30 September after using Snapchat to contact young girls, filming offences and threatening to share intimate videos.
The Internet Watch Foundation reported a sharp rise in young people contacting its helpline after fearing sexual images of themselves have been shared online. This form of exploitation, known as sextortion, involves criminals threatening to publish intimate images to extort or blackmail victims.
Experts urge parents to speak with children about online safety without blame or punishment. Ella Bradshaw of the NSPCC said children often fear judgment when discussing grooming or sexual relationships online. James Simmons-Read of the Children's Society expressed concern that young people are increasingly turning to AI rather than trusted adults for advice about online harms.
The companies have been approached for comment. A social media ban for children under 16 is set to come into force in 2027, though some experts say it does not go far enough.