Increase in nude selfie sharing among Norwegian teens

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Children aged 13-14 years:

• 5 out of 10 girls have been asked to share a nude photo
• 2 out of 10 boys have been asked to share a nude photo
• 4 out of 10 girls aged 13-14 have received nude photos from others

More young people shares nude photos of themselves than earlier

The Norwegian Media Authority’s survey shows that the proportion of 13-14 years sharing nude selfies has gone up from three to eight percent. It increases with age:

• 8 percent among 13- to 14-year-olds
• 19 percent among 17- to 18-year-olds

These figures are presented in the Norwegian Media Authority’s survey “Barn og media 2022.”

The survey also shows that more girls both receive nude photos of strangers and are asked about nude photos by strangers, while boys most often receive pictures and requests from someone they know.

The survey says that it is very common to receive nude photos from an unknown person online. One-third of teens have received nude photos this way.

Children are offered money for sharing nude photos

• 16 percent of girls aged 13-14 have been asked to share nude photos for money or gifts
• 2 percent of boys aged 13-14 have been asked to share nude photos for money or gifts

Police confirmed an increase in the number of children selling nude photos or videos in recent years. Usually, kids take photos or videos of themselves, which they often share on Snapchat.

More figures about the age group 13–18 years

• 15 percent have shared a nude selfie in the past year (3 percentage points up from 2020).
• 77% have not.
• 8 percent answered “do not know” or “do not want to answer” whether they have shared nude selfies.
• 44 percent have been sent nude selfies by others (2 percentage points up from 2020).
• 43 percent have received a request to share nude selfies (3 percentage points down from 2020, but at that time they couldn’t answer “don’t know” or “don’t want to answer”).
• 13 percent have been offered money to share nude selfies (in addition, 2 percent have been offered gifts or things).

Update 26. Jan 2023: The police tell NRK that children use emojis to talk about their services. Previously, the sale of such services among children was often linked to drug abuse problems or the like, but now our children are in all walks of life, the police explain.

Tips and advice

• Barnevakten’s resource page about nude photos – here you will also find some advice
• Tips from the police
• Tips to the police (report a criminal offence)
• Barnevakten’s home page about nude photos with lots of links to more articles and tips.

Photo: Shutterstock/leungchopan.

(Translated from Norwegian by Ratan Samadder)