The use of digital technologies plays a key role in cases of violence against children and adolescents, according to the Spanish organization ANAR.
According to its study, 77% of incidents of gender-based violence among minors are linked to the internet. The Aid Foundation for Children and Adolescents at Risk (ANAR) analyzed more than 11,000 cases from June 2023 to June 2024. In 56% of cases, technology was either the cause of the problem or exacerbated the situation.
The greatest concern is the impact of the digital environment on phenomena such as cyberbullying, online violence, grooming, unauthorized sharing of intimate images, and psychological pressure. In 62% of cases where children reported suicidal thoughts or suicide attempts, the digital environment was also involved.
The study found that girls are more frequently victims of online violence—63.8% of all affected individuals. The only exception was screen addiction, where the majority of cases involved boys (55%). The highest proportion of victims were 14-year-old adolescents.
The ANAR study coincided with the consideration of a new bill in Spain proposing to raise the minimum age for social media registration from 14 to 16 and to toughen penalties for online grooming and deepfakes.
