Record 167 Elementary School Students Harmed Via Social Media in 2025, Highlights Growing Dangers Including Deepfakes

The Yomiuri Shimbun

7:02 JST, February 27, 2026

The number of elementary school students falling victim to crimes through social media rose 20% to a record 167 last year, according to National Police Agency data.

They were among a total of 1,566 people under 18 involved in such cases, an increase of 80 from the year before.

The agency is calling for increased vigilance as the exploitation of generative AI to create fake sexual images of children has emerged as a serious problem.

More than 80% of the victims were junior and senior high school students. According to the agency, junior high school students numbered 758, up 43 from the previous year, while high school students accounted for 579, down three.

Meanwhile, the number of elementary school victims rose by 31 to 167, a figure that has increased about fivefold since 2015 when there were 35 cases.

Instagram was the most common platform where children encountered offenders, accounting for 456 victims, followed by 307 on X and 123 on TikTok. Online games were also the starting point for 81 children.

More than 70% of encounters began with posts by the victims on social media platforms, often featuring personal profiles, details of daily life or appeals for friends. Such posts have become a gateway for children to be drawn into dangerous situations.

According to an analysis by the NPA of the 167 elementary school victims, 11-year-olds represented the largest group with 71 victims, while 12-year-olds accounted for 57 and 10-year-olds for 25. An additional 14 victims were aged 8 or 9.

The most common offenses included nonconsensual sexual contact and child pornography.

Elementary school students were more likely than junior and senior high school students to connect with offenders on platforms popular with younger users, such as TikTok, Line and virtual-space communication apps.

The agency believes the expanding use of smartphones among younger children is a key factor behind the rise in victims.

Meanwhile, police received 114 consultations and reports last year regarding “sexual deepfakes” — fake sexual images of children created using generative artificial intelligence — marking an increase of four from the previous year.

By school level, junior high school students accounted for the largest number of victims at 66, up 11 from a year earlier, followed by 32 high school students, down 15, and six elementary school students, an increase of three.

About 60% of the perpetrators were classmates or students from the same school, with some cases involving the abuse of images from graduation yearbooks or social media.

“While carrying out strict enforcement, we will strive to raise public awareness about the proper use of social media,” an NPA official said.