Tech involved in three-quarters of gender violence cases among children, Spanish research shows

Three in four cases of gender-based violence reported to a Spanish youth support organisation involved digital technology, the foundation has warned, as it published an analysis revealing the growing role the online sphere is playing in serious childhood problems.

The Foundation for Aid to Children and Adolescents at Risk (ANAR) analysed the cases of more than 11,000 children and young people who approached the group for help between June 2023 and June 2024, finding that 56% were related to or aggravated by digital technologies. 

Among cases related to gender-based violence, it was present in 77% of incidents reported to the foundation.

The research was published in the wake of the release of the hit Netflix series Adolescence, which has fueled discussions about how to protect children from the harms of social media and online radicalisation, with some, including the show's creator, advocating for smartphone bans.

ANAR listed cyberbullying, screen addiction, online harassment, grooming and non-consensual sexting among the issues experienced by children in which digital platforms were central.

But it was also found to be present in issues related to children being expelled from their homes, 64%, and psychological abuse, 61%.

Among those who reported experiencing suicidal ideation and a suicide attempt, digital platforms were said to be related to 62% of cases.

Girls were overall more likely to be affected, the analysis found, making up 63.8% of the cases. There was an exception in cases related to screen addiction, where boys made up the majority, at 55%.

The most common age of those affected was 14.

Diana Díaz, the helpline's director, stressed that the caseload was becoming more complicated, with nearly three in four cases