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Proportion of 13–17-years-old who have seen different types of violent content on social media in the past 12 months

This table shows the prevalence of specific violent and illegal content that 13- to 17-year-olds have encountered online. A total of 70% of children report having seen some form of violence, with fights involving young people (56%) and threats of physical harm (43%) being the most commonly reported experiences. Significant exposure to illegal or high-risk activities was also reported, with 38% of young people seeing content related to illegal drug use and 35% seeing the carrying or use of weapons. Furthermore, 33% of respondents report seeing the promotion of gangs or illegal drugs. Even the least prevalent categories, such as glorifying previous attacks (29%) and sexually violent content (27%), affect over a quarter of those surveyed, highlighting widespread exposure to various digital risks.

Source: Children, violence and vulnerability 2024 - What role does social media play in violence affecting young people?, Youth Endowment Fund
Topic: Harms and Wellbeing
Reference year: 2024
Geographical scope: England and Wales
Method: data collection
Unit of measurement: Percent (%)
Link to original document: youthendowmentfund.org.uk

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