A new analysis from the Danish organization Save the Children (Red Barnet) reveals that Snapchat is the most common platform used by online predators to target Danish children, with grooming involving minors occurring in more than 50% of reviewed cases. Snapchat’s specific messaging functions, such as messages disappearing after they are read, which provide parents with limited oversight of their children’s online activities.
Snapchat Linked to Majority of Online Grooming Cases of Danish Children
Online grooming remains a growing concern in Denmark, with social media playing a central role in how offenders connect with children. The Danish population leads the EU in Social Media use, with a staggering 94% of the population having one or more online profiles, making this even more of a concern. Over a two-year period, Save the Children Denmark investigated 106 cases involving suspected online grooming of Danish children where the platform was identifiable. In 56 of those cases, or more than half, communication occurred on Snapchat, making it the most frequently used platform by suspected predators.
While conversations with Danish children often begin on other platforms – such as Instagram, Discord, or gaming services like PlayStation and Roblox -Snapchat is typically where communications shift as conversations become more personal or explicit. With its ephemeral messaging functions and limited parental oversight, Snapchat presents unique challenges for child safety.
Understanding Grooming and Its Consequences
Grooming involves an adult gradually establishing an emotional connection with a child or teen—often posing as a peer—to gain trust and later exploit them, frequently through sexual content. The process may begin online, escalate into the exchange of explicit photos and videos, and in some cases, lead to real-life meetings.
Save the Children warns that this form of digital manipulation can have profound emotional consequences for victims. Children affected may feel ashamed, manipulated, and isolated, suffering deep, long-term damage to their self-esteem and trust in others. Additionally, there is a significant risk that any explicit content shared may be distributed further, causing ongoing harm.
Predators Exploit Loopholes in Age Restrictions
Officially, Snapchat prohibits users under the age of 13 from joining the platform, but enforcement of this rule is limited. Children aged 11 or 12 often find ways to gain access, either by lying about their age or with limited parental monitoring. Save the Children emphasizes that both parents and tech companies must play active roles in preventing underage use and protecting younger users.
Parents are encouraged to have open conversations with their children before allowing them to access social media and to familiarize themselves with safety features. One recommendation from Save the Children is strengthening age verification tools so that children cannot create accounts by simply entering a false birth date. Predators often create fake profiles and even impersonate peers to connect with minors, deepening the urgency for effective verification processes.
Platforms Urged to Take More Responsibility
Though Snapchat has stated that sexual exploitation is against its policies, the company is under increasing pressure to address its role in facilitating online grooming. According to the platform, they have implemented measures such as alert pop-ups when strangers message young users and built-in tools that help teens report inappropriate interactions.
Snapchat also offers a monitoring tool called Family Center, which allows parents to see who their children are communicating with on the app. However, using this feature requires parents to also be Snapchat users and be aware of their child’s presence on the platform.
Despite these efforts, critics argue that more robust protections are needed. Recommendations include restricting contact between minors and adult users who are not verified relatives or contacts, implementing AI to detect grooming-related language patterns, and introducing stricter reporting and response systems.
Key Patterns in Grooming Cases of Danish Children
The analysis conducted by Save the Children highlighted several trends across grooming cases:
1. Digital grooming almost always crosses multiple platforms
While Snapchat is heavily featured, many predators utilize several online services to initiate and continue communications with victims.
2. Girls and boys are affected differently
Gender impacts the dynamics and forms of manipulation involved, influencing both the approach used and the child’s response.
3. Grooming often results in family conflict
Children may view their groomer as a trusted friend or romantic partner, while parents perceive a significant threat. This can place enormous emotional strain on family relationships.
4. Offenders use impersonation tactics
Predators frequently create fake identities to appear as teenagers or other children, increasing their likelihood of gaining trust from young users.
5. Trust damage is long-lasting
Victims often suffer lasting psychological effects, including difficulty trusting others and shame over their involvement, even though they were manipulated.
Rising Pressure for Legislative Action
In response to increasing reports of digital child exploitation, Danish lawmakers and child protection organizations are calling for legislation that mandates stricter verification and monitoring practices on platforms like Snapchat. Several European countries have already introduced such regulations, putting added pressure on Denmark and other Nordic countries to follow suit.
As digital platforms continue to evolve, with Danish Social Media platforms such as SOCii and Oase also becoming more popular, the need for global cooperation between governments, NGOs, and tech companies becomes ever more urgent to keep children safe in the digital age.
