Parents are being urged to ensure their children recognise online dangers as research shows alarming rates of sexual solicitation on social media platforms.
More than one in four girls experienced being sexually propositioned online by an adult before they turned 18, often as young as age 11, according to research by the eSafety Commissioner and Queensland University of Technology.
The study, which surveyed 3500 young people between the ages of 16 and 24, found online sexual solicitation often begins at an early age, with 80 per cent of victims saying it started by age 15 and 25 per cent reporting it began before age 12.
Overall, 17.7 per cent of all children and young people surveyed had experienced online sexual solicitation by an adult.
Girls were disproportionately targeted compared to boys, with 10.9 per cent experiencing this harm, compared to 3.8 per cent of boys.
Nearly 87 per cent of perpetrators were total strangers which highlighted the risks associated with anonymous interactions online.
eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant said the research was startling and showed the importance of taking a holistic approach to children's online safety.
"Prevention is just as important as enforcement. The best way to protect children is through open and ongoing conversations about online risks and by playing an active role in their online lives," she said.
"Parents and carers play a unique and vital role in helping children recognise potential dangers and build digital resilience and eSafety seeks to empower and enable these important conversations."
Ms Inman Grant said the commission had been warning for some time about the dangers of 'co-mingled' platforms of social media, messaging and gaming apps where children and adults are online together.
"While many of these can provide valuable experiences for young people, they can also be weaponised by predators to target children," she said.
Child safety expert Professor Ben Mathews said public policy needed to support efforts to reduce online harm for children.
"Parents are an important part of this, and schools should also play a key role in building children and young people's digital skills and literacy in sexuality and relationships," he said.
"Online platform providers must also take responsibility for enhancing prevention, and have a duty to increase safety in online environments for children."
