How does abuse affect children's lives? For children subjected to technology-facilitated sexual abuse, the impacts can be severe. When sexual content is shared without consent, or children are threatened or extorted using intimate content, they often struggle to understand what is happening and why they have been targeted. Many spoke of feeling confused and overwhelmed in the moments and days that followed. What begins to take hold is the fear that it will not stay contained. What if someone sees? What if it spreads? The fear is not only about the content itself, but about everything around it – who might find out, how they might react, what they might say. Young people who had been subjected to technology-facilitated sexual abuse shared how these feelings profoundly shaped their sense of belonging and safety within their communities. What happens online does not always stay there. It follows children into their everyday lives; into school, friendships and relationships. Some withdraw, avoiding the people and places where they feel exposed; others face bullying or exclusion as content continues to circulate beyond their control. Many describe ongoing anxiety after their sexual content was shared, even when it was fake or digitally manipulated. Through Children’s Eyes How does abuse affect children’s lives? 31